Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Airdrie

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,579 in Airdrie, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Airdrie
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Airdrie Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Airdrie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,579

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Airdrie actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,579 in Airdrie, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Airdrie $2,579

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,704 in Airdrie, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Airdrie $3,704

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,829 in Airdrie, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Airdrie $4,829

Chiang Mai is about 64% cheaper than Airdrie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Airdrie is 91% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$18.37 CA$25.84

-88.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$78.4 CA$110

-76.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$10.65 CA$14.98

-47.42%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$3.92 CA$5.51

-57.65%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$2.31 CA$3.25

-71.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$2.03 CA$2.85

-85.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$5.87 CA$8.26

-60.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$6.23 CA$8.76

-41.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.98 CA$2.79

2.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$2.65 CA$3.73

-46.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$3.64 CA$5.13

-61.81%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$3.71 CA$5.21

-36.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$10.98 CA$15.44

50.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$11.27 CA$15.85

-76.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$19.11 CA$26.87

-52.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$4.75 CA$6.68

-49.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.36 CA$1.92

-23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$4.38 CA$6.16

-62.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$3.87 CA$5.44

-59.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$2.86 CA$4.03

-56.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$2.96 CA$4.16

-63.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$2.71 CA$3.81

-71.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$1.88 CA$2.64

-72.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$14.38 CA$20.22

-71.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$11.40 CA$16.03

57.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$3.54 CA$4.97

-54.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$3.17 CA$4.46

-11.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$2.10 CA$2.96

-55.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$181 CA$254

-70.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$3.29 CA$4.62

-64.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$1.39 CA$1.95

-87.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$21.17 CA$29.77

-91.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$1.17 CA$1.65

25.64%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$27.9K CA$39.2K

-24.56%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$20.9K CA$29.4K

26.87%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$223 CA$314

-71.97%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$44.70 CA$62.9

-74.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$55.5 CA$78.0

-63.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$87.4 CA$123

-56.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$35.08 CA$49.34

-89.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$14.09 CA$19.82

-53.80%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$646 CA$908

12.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$9,848 CA$13.8K

68.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$43.68 CA$61.4

22.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$43.16 CA$60.7

-42.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$85.7 CA$120

5.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$110 CA$155

-34.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$1,271 CA$1,787

-62.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$1,142 CA$1,607

-72.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$1,765 CA$2,482

-40.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$1,655 CA$2,327

-60.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$6,073 CA$8,541

-60.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$6,230 CA$8,762

-74.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$2,961 CA$4,164

-79.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.32

28.94%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Airdrie: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Airdrie

$1.1K 44.3% 269% $833

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Airdrie

$386 15% 63.1% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Airdrie

$127 4.9% 17.5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Airdrie

$323 12.5% 242% $229

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Airdrie

$285 11.1% 272% $209

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Airdrie

$199 7.7% 240% $141

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Airdrie

$116 4.5% 127% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,271 in Airdrie. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Airdrie are about 5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $78 in Airdrie. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $386 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇦 Airdrie

🕒 Local time

04:35 4:35 AM

15:35 3:35 PM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

54,891

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.636 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Airdrie 11,590 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Airdrie

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 Airdrie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai, $2,579 in Airdrie – Chiang Mai comes out roughly 64% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,869 in Airdrie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,271 in Airdrie.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,579 in Airdrie. That makes Chiang Mai about 64% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 71% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,579 in Airdrie. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $2,579 in Airdrie. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Airdrie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.