Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Avarua

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,638 in Avarua, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Avarua

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,638 in Avarua, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Avarua $1,638

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,652 in Avarua, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Avarua $1,652

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,666 in Avarua, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Avarua $1,666

Chiang Mai is about 43% cheaper than Avarua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Avarua is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$11.47 NZ$20.45

-80.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$57.6 NZ$103

-67.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$8.47 NZ$15.09

-34.47%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.16 NZ$5.64

-47.15%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$2.24 NZ$3.99

-71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$2.30 NZ$4.10

-86.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$5.61 NZ$10.00

-57.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.20 NZ$7.48

-12.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.66 NZ$2.96

17.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$3.33 NZ$5.93

-56.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.68 NZ$2.99

-20.83%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$4.76 NZ$8.49

-52.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$11.58 NZ$20.64

42.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$7.88 NZ$14.05

-64.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.39 NZ$18.52

-10.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.81 NZ$5.01

-16.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.68 NZ$3.00

-42.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.50 NZ$6.24

-54.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$9.14 NZ$16.28

-83.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.82 NZ$5.02

-54.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$2.21 NZ$3.93

-50.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$2.23 NZ$3.98

-68.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$2.91 NZ$5.19

-83.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$14.24 NZ$25.38

23.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.18 NZ$7.45

-33.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$2.82 NZ$5.03

-69.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$2.19 NZ$3.90

-33.79%

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

$112 NZ$199

-44.43%

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

$12.17 ฿411

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

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

$968 NZ$1,725

-50.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$947 NZ$1,687

-67.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$115 NZ$205

775.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$944 NZ$1,683

68.30%

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 Avarua: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Avarua

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Avarua

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Avarua

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Avarua

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Avarua

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Avarua

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Avarua

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $968 in Avarua. 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 $58 in Avarua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $358 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇰 Avarua

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

05:14 5:14 AM

17 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

5,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 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 Avarua 11,870 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Avarua

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 Avarua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Avarua costs about 75% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,457 in Avarua. 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 $968 in Avarua.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,638 in Avarua. That’s a gap of about 75%.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Avarua, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,638 in Avarua. 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 $1,638 in Avarua. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.