Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Apia

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $853 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $853 in Apia.

Chiang Mai $936
Apia $853

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $2,282 in Apia.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Apia $2,282

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $3,711 in Apia.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Apia $3,711

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 10% more expensive than in Apia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Apia 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$47.10 WST 130

-95.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$36.32 WST 100

-47.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$14.46 WST 39.98

-61.62%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.87 WST 7.92

-41.81%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.77 WST 4.89

-63.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.33 WST 3.67

-76.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.43 WST 9.49

-31.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.60 WST 9.95

1.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.84 WST 5.08

5.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.83 WST 2.31

73.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.80 WST 4.99

-26.11%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$4.39 WST 12.15

-48.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$0.94 WST 2.60

1650.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.65 WST 10.11

-23.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.34 WST 23.06

11.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$4.99 WST 13.79

-52.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.85 WST 5.13

-47.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.84 WST 5.10

-13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$4.48 WST 12.38

-66.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$3.54 WST 9.79

-63.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.10 WST 3.04

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.21 WST 3.35

-59.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.36 WST 17.58

-34.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$16.29 WST 45.04

7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.84 WST 5.08

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.68 WST 10.18

-24.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$3.70 WST 10.24

-76.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$5.50 WST 15.20

-78.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$5.55 WST 15.36

-90.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$21.64 WST 59.8

-88.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.08 WST 2.98

34.26%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$18.50 WST 51.2

236.05%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$18.38 WST 50.8

-33.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$36.62 WST 101

-45.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,738 WST 4,805

-63.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Apia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Apia

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Apia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Apia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Apia

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Apia

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Apia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Apia

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $36 in Apia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $240 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇼🇸 Apia

🕒 Local time

01:05 1:05 AM

07:05 7:05 AM

6 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

36,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Samoan Tala WST T

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 WST = 0.362 USD

1 WST = 0.325 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

WST, 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 = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.77 WST (1 WST = 0.362 USD). 1 EUR = 3.08 WST (1 WST = 0.325 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Apia 10,420 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Apia

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 Apia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $1,279 in Apia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $36 in Apia. 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 $853 in Apia – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Apia 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.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Apia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.