Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Banjul

For one person, living is cheaper in Banjul: $674 a month against $906 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
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Chiang Mai Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Banjul
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Banjul Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Banjul

🇬🇲 Gambia

$674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $674 in Banjul, rent included.

Chiang Mai $906
Banjul $674

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,184 in Banjul, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Banjul $1,184

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,695 in Banjul, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Banjul $1,695

Chiang Mai costs about 34% more than Banjul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Banjul are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Banjul 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$7.29 GMD 525

-70.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿649

$73.0 GMD 5,255

-73.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿183

$7.91 GMD 570

-30.85%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.4

$3.76 GMD 271

-55.32%

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

$0.66 ฿22.10

$2.66 GMD 192

-75.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.52

$1.54 GMD 111

-77.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.0

$5.45 GMD 392

-55.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

$4.44 GMD 320

-15.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$1.38 GMD 99.4

49.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.78

$0.64 GMD 46.22

128.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.09

$1.29 GMD 93.2

4.65%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.0

$1.97 GMD 142

15.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿546

$6.16 GMD 444

164.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.3

$2.63 GMD 189

2.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿308

$5.45 GMD 392

68.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.1

$2.06 GMD 148

16.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.66

$1.22 GMD 87.5

-14.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.7

$1.76 GMD 126

-9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.37

$1.32 GMD 95.4

9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.59

$0.88 GMD 63.5

47.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.29

$1.00 GMD 72.0

11.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.55

$0.25 GMD 18.05

180.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.99

$0.61 GMD 43.98

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿138

$1.66 GMD 120

148.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

$6.29 GMD 453

182.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.7

$1.53 GMD 110

6.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.0

$1.69 GMD 121

69.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.76

$0.19 GMD 13.40

352.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,780

$6.40 GMD 461

730.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.81

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.81

$0.71 GMD 51.0

-21.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

$4.12 GMD 297

-43.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$1.08 GMD 78.0

38.89%

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

$20.9K ฿698.3K

$2,616 GMD 188.4K

697.27%

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

$26.7K ฿895.0K

$3,205 GMD 230.7K

734.21%

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

$61.3 ฿2,051

$30.89 GMD 2,224

98.32%

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

$12.50 ฿419

$14.21 GMD 1,023

-12.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿682

$45.37 GMD 3,267

-55.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,270

$23.56 GMD 1,696

61.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

$13.61 GMD 980

-72.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿221

$3.37 GMD 242

95.85%

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

$774 ฿25.9K

$6.59 GMD 474

11645.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿483.2K

$136 GMD 9,785

10520.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,835

$55.2 GMD 3,974

-0.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿846

$43.48 GMD 3,131

-41.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,032

$99.0 GMD 7,129

-8.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,453

$85.6 GMD 6,166

-14.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$101 GMD 7,247

355.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,835

$81.2 GMD 5,843

262.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.8K

$213 GMD 15.4K

330.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$138 GMD 9,916

300.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

$1,438 GMD 103.5K

33.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.4K

$1,160 GMD 83.5K

24.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.8K

$60.6 GMD 4,366

876.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-62.87%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Banjul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Banjul

$81 12.1% 72.4% $213

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Banjul

$149 22.3% 36.8% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Banjul

$127 19.1% 16.2% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Banjul

$90 13.5% 3.9% $3.6

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Banjul

$180 26.9% 133% $103

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Banjul

$11 * 1.6% 82.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Banjul

$30 4.5% 40.8% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Chiang Mai versus $101 in Banjul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 877% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $73.0 in Banjul. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Chiang Mai vs $149 in Banjul – so Banjul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇬🇲 Banjul

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

12:15 12:15 PM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

31,356 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 GMD = 1.39 USD

100 GMD = 1.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GMD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 72 GMD (100 GMD = 1.39 USD). 1 EUR = 80.68 GMD (100 GMD = 1.24 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Banjul 12,100 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Banjul

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 Banjul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,359 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,010 in Banjul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Banjul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $906 in Chiang Mai and $674 in Banjul. That's a gap of about 34%.

Public transport costs about 730% less in Banjul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Banjul, where all-in costs run around $674, than in Chiang Mai at $906. In Banjul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Banjul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

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