Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Benguela

For one person, living is cheaper in Benguela: $59.1 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Benguela

🇦🇴 Angola

$59.1

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $59 in Benguela.

Chiang Mai $936
Benguela $59

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $85 in Benguela.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Benguela $85

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $111 in Benguela.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Benguela $111

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 1483% more expensive than in Benguela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Benguela 96% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.80 AOA 2,560

-20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$11.10 AOA 10.1K

-50.00%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.85 AOA 774

-24.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

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

$12.17 ฿411

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

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 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$3,735 AOA 3.4M

-84.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-77.72%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Benguela: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Benguela

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Benguela

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Benguela

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Benguela

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Benguela

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Benguela

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Benguela

–

Cost Breakdown

Benguela pays about 6.3 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇦🇴 Benguela

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

21:10 9:10 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

513,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Angolan Kwanza AOA Kz

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 AOA = 10.96 USD

10,000 AOA = 9.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AOA, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Angolan Kwanza exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 913 AOA (1,000 AOA = 1.1 USD). 1 EUR = 1,019 AOA (10,000 AOA = 9.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Benguela 10,000 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Benguela

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 Benguela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benguela wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Benguela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 84% 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.

At $59 in Benguela versus $936 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Benguela but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Benguela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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