Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Abidjan

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,216 in Abidjan, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Abidjan
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Abidjan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Abidjan

🇨🇮 Ivory Coast

$1,216

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Abidjan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Abidjan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $1,216 in Abidjan.

Chiang Mai $936
Abidjan $1,216

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $2,106 in Abidjan.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Abidjan $2,106

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $2,995 in Abidjan.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Abidjan $2,995

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 23% less than in Abidjan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Abidjan 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$2.63 F CFA 1,549

-14.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$69.0 F CFA 40.6K

-72.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$10.15 F CFA 5,978

-45.32%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.85 F CFA 1,088

-9.73%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.77 F CFA 453

-16.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.77 F CFA 451

-59.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.01 F CFA 593

133.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.65 F CFA 972

121.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.10 F CFA 1,236

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.50 F CFA 296

188.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.19 F CFA 701

11.76%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.30 F CFA 1,355

-0.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$25.58 F CFA 15.1K

-35.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$5.86 F CFA 3,449

-52.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.17 F CFA 4,220

29.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$4.48 F CFA 2,641

-47.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.06 F CFA 625

-8.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.06 F CFA 1,214

-22.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$2.40 F CFA 1,411

-37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.76 F CFA 1,034

-27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.60 F CFA 941

-31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.50 F CFA 293

42.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.83 F CFA 490

-40.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.67 F CFA 982

147.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$6.08 F CFA 3,578

188.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.04 F CFA 615

54.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.12 F CFA 662

148.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.97 F CFA 570

-10.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$43.33 F CFA 25.5K

24.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.73 F CFA 1,017

-32.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.73 F CFA 1,019

-69.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$25.95 F CFA 15.3K

-90.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.49 F CFA 877

-2.68%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$28.5K F CFA 16.8M

-26.17%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$26.1K F CFA 15.4M

3.08%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$62.2 ฿2,100

$165 F CFA 96.9K

-62.21%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$12.17 ฿411

$21.65 F CFA 12.7K

-43.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$35.20 F CFA 20.7K

-42.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$70.7 F CFA 41.6K

-47.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$21.44 F CFA 12.6K

-82.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$8.56 F CFA 5,043

-24.18%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$736 ฿24.9K

$362 F CFA 213.2K

103.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$4,715 F CFA 2.8M

213.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$91.9 F CFA 54.1K

-41.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$37.07 F CFA 21.8K

-33.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$85.4 F CFA 50.3K

7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$136 F CFA 80.0K

-47.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$830 F CFA 488.7K

-41.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$347 F CFA 204.1K

-10.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$2,768 F CFA 1.6M

-63.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$972 F CFA 572.2K

-34.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,036 F CFA 1.2M

16.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$512 F CFA 301.6K

210.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$215 F CFA 126.6K

174.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

15.75

-64.63%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Abidjan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Abidjan

$347 28.5% 12.2% $38

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Abidjan

$257 21.1% 9.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Abidjan

$158 13% 45.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Abidjan

$221 18.2% 134% $127

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Abidjan

$88 7.3% 13.6% $11

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Abidjan

$58 4.7% 6.2% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Abidjan

$88 7.2% 74.6% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $830 in Abidjan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays about 2.7 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $69 in Abidjan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $257 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇮 Abidjan

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

14:25 2:25 PM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

7,567,409

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 655 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Abidjan 11,170 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Abidjan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chiang Mai vs Abidjan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and utilities. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Chiang Mai is about 2.7 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $830 in Abidjan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $69 in Abidjan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $1,216 in Abidjan – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.