Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Baie du Tombeau

For one person, living is cheaper in Baie du Tombeau: $640 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Baie du Tombeau
Learn more

Baie du Tombeau Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Baie du Tombeau

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$640

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Baie du Tombeau

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 Baie du Tombeau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $640 in Baie du Tombeau.

Chiang Mai $936
Baie du Tombeau $640

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,072 in Baie du Tombeau.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Baie du Tombeau $1,072

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,505 in Baie du Tombeau.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Baie du Tombeau $1,505

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 46% more expensive than in Baie du Tombeau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Baie du Tombeau 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$4.14 MUR 197

-45.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$31.60 MUR 1,498

-39.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$6.43 MUR 305

-13.69%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.60 MUR 123

-35.77%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.03 MUR 48.81

-37.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.89 MUR 42.05

-65.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.95 MUR 92.2

21.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.25 MUR 59.4

192.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.55 MUR 73.6

25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.19 MUR 9.19

657.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.94 MUR 140

-54.76%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.51 MUR 119

-9.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$12.98 MUR 615

26.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$7.50 MUR 355

-62.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.53 MUR 499

-11.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.16 MUR 102

8.80%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.17 MUR 103

-55.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.48 MUR 118

-35.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.67 MUR 79.2

-10.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.04 MUR 49.54

23.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.07 MUR 50.9

2.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.05 MUR 49.65

-32.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.83 MUR 39.33

-40.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.48 MUR 307

-36.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$6.41 MUR 304

173.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.86 MUR 88.0

-13.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.11 MUR 99.9

31.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.62 MUR 29.30

40.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$27.35 MUR 1,297

97.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$2.09 MUR 98.9

-44.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$3.14 MUR 149

-83.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$21.07 MUR 999

-88.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.37 MUR 65.2

5.84%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$31.8K MUR 1.5M

-33.86%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$32.3K MUR 1.5M

-16.63%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$20.97 MUR 994

196.47%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$8.71 MUR 413

39.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$25.28 MUR 1,199

-20.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$31.87 MUR 1,511

17.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.23 MUR 295

-39.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.30 MUR 251

22.45%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$63.2 MUR 2,994

1065.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$2,162 MUR 102.5K

582.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$43.06 MUR 2,041

23.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$31.92 MUR 1,513

-22.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$63.9 MUR 3,030

43.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$63.4 MUR 3,007

13.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$107 MUR 5,066

351.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$64.8 MUR 3,073

376.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$215 MUR 10.2K

367.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$146 MUR 6,941

332.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$5,372 MUR 254.7K

-56.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$4,287 MUR 203.2K

-62.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$639 MUR 30.3K

-7.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.12

-8.99%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Baie du Tombeau: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Baie du Tombeau

$65 10.1% 79% $244

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Baie du Tombeau

$235 36.8% 0.3% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Baie du Tombeau

$91 14.2% 16.2% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Baie du Tombeau

$55 8.6% 41.8% $39

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Baie du Tombeau

$104 16.2% 33.5% $26

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Baie du Tombeau

$48 7.4% 22.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Baie du Tombeau

$42 6.6% 15.6% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $107 in Baie du Tombeau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baie du Tombeau pays 8% 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 $32 in Baie du Tombeau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $235 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇺 Baie du Tombeau

🕒 Local time

06:18 6:18 AM

03:18 3:18 AM

3 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

12,011

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MUR = 2.11 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, 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).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 47.41 MUR (100 MUR = 2.11 USD). 1 EUR = 52.78 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Baie du Tombeau 6,260 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Baie du Tombeau

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 Baie du Tombeau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baie du Tombeau is about 32% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Chiang Mai. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $107 in Baie du Tombeau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $63 in Baie du Tombeau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $32 in Baie du Tombeau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Baie du Tombeau are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.