Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ashburton

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,040 in Ashburton, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Ashburton
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Ashburton Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Ashburton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,040

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,040 in Ashburton, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Ashburton $2,040

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,892 in Ashburton, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Ashburton $2,892

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,745 in Ashburton, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Ashburton $3,745

Chiang Mai is about 54% cheaper than Ashburton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Ashburton is 50% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$14.48 NZ$25.74

-84.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$69.9 NZ$124

-72.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$9.28 NZ$16.49

-40.19%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.30 NZ$5.86

-49.39%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$2.27 NZ$4.03

-71.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.87 NZ$3.33

-83.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$6.74 NZ$11.99

-64.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.98 NZ$12.41

-47.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.67 NZ$2.97

16.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.80 NZ$3.19

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.41 NZ$2.51

-5.67%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$6.04 NZ$10.73

-62.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$7.28 NZ$12.94

125.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$9.47 NZ$16.83

-70.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$13.47 NZ$23.95

-30.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.48 NZ$4.41

-5.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.02 NZ$3.58

-51.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.74 NZ$4.86

-41.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.07 NZ$5.45

-51.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.52 NZ$2.70

-15.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.40 NZ$2.48

-21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$2.28 NZ$4.05

-68.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$1.28 NZ$2.28

-61.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$24.04 NZ$42.73

-82.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$8.35 NZ$14.85

109.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$3.50 NZ$6.22

-54.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.44 NZ$7.90

-37.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$1.76 NZ$3.13

-50.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$90.7 NZ$161

-40.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$2.49 NZ$4.43

-53.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.68 NZ$2.98

-68.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$28.87 NZ$51.3

-91.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.93 NZ$3.43

-24.87%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$28.0K NZ$49.8K

-24.83%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$23.3K NZ$41.4K

15.59%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$157 NZ$280

-60.48%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$23.27 NZ$41.36

-47.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$44.99 NZ$80.0

-55.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$39.50 NZ$70.2

-5.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$11.67 NZ$20.75

-44.39%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$676 NZ$1,202

8.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$21.7K NZ$38.5K

-31.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$59.7 NZ$106

-10.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$40.20 NZ$71.5

-38.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$102 NZ$181

-10.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$124 NZ$221

-42.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$924 NZ$1,642

-47.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$949 NZ$1,687

-67.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,883 NZ$3,347

-46.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,288 NZ$2,290

-50.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$5,025 NZ$8,933

-52.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$3,445 NZ$6,123

-53.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.91

-5.75%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ashburton: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Ashburton

$949 46.5% 207% $640

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Ashburton

$300 14.7% 27.9% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Ashburton

$147 7.2% 34.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ashburton

$226 11.1% 139% $131

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Ashburton

$248 12.1% 219% $170

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ashburton

$109 5.3% 77% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ashburton

$63 3.1% 25% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $924 in Ashburton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $70 in Ashburton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $300 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇿 Ashburton

🕒 Local time

16:05 4:05 PM

22:05 10:05 PM

6 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

20,500

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ashburton 10,140 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ashburton

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 Ashburton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai, $2,040 in Ashburton – Chiang Mai comes out roughly 54% 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 $3,060 in Ashburton. 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 $482 there versus $924 in Ashburton.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Ashburton, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $70 in Ashburton. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,040 in Ashburton. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,040 in Ashburton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 54% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.