Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Boroko

For one person, living is cheaper in Boroko: $868 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $820 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Boroko
Learn more

Boroko Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Boroko

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$868

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $868 in Boroko, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Boroko $868

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,259 in Boroko, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Boroko $1,259

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,649 in Boroko, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Boroko $1,649

Chiang Mai costs about 8% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Boroko are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Boroko 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$7.29 PGK 31.69

-69.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$34.42 PGK 150

-44.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.35 PGK 23.27

3.74%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.48 PGK 10.76

-32.66%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.71 PGK 3.07

-9.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.64 PGK 2.78

-51.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.58 PGK 11.23

-8.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.42 PGK 14.86

7.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.50 PGK 6.52

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.16 PGK 5.03

24.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.16 PGK 5.03

14.66%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.55 PGK 15.41

-35.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$4.98 PGK 21.66

230.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.79 PGK 20.80

-41.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$6.61 PGK 28.73

40.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.85 PGK 16.71

-38.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$3.08 PGK 13.38

-68.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.72 PGK 11.80

-41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.70 PGK 11.75

-44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$2.82 PGK 12.25

-54.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.84 PGK 3.66

30.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.12 PGK 4.86

-36.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.42 PGK 1.83

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.42 PGK 23.54

-23.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$4.95 PGK 21.53

253.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.07 PGK 4.67

50.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.49 PGK 6.48

86.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.42 PGK 1.83

107.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$28.88 PGK 126

87.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$4.40 PGK 19.12

-73.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.34 PGK 5.84

-60.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$10.97 PGK 47.68

-77.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.80 PGK 3.47

81.25%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$35.7K PGK 155.1K

-41.00%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$17.6K PGK 76.5K

53.07%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$61.6 PGK 268

0.94%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$20.71 PGK 90.0

-41.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$82.1 PGK 357

-75.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$41.86 PGK 182

-10.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$14.29 PGK 62.1

-73.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.47 PGK 28.10

0.31%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$333 PGK 1,445

121.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$2,215 PGK 9,626

566.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$34.50 PGK 150

54.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$12.91 PGK 56.1

90.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$44.28 PGK 192

106.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$26.31 PGK 114

173.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$3,336 PGK 14.5K

-85.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$221 PGK 959

39.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$3,257 PGK 14.2K

-69.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$218 PGK 948

190.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$352 PGK 1,531

67.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Boroko: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Boroko

$221 25.4% 28.5% $88

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Boroko

$204 23.5% 12.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Boroko

$53 6.1% 51.1% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Boroko

$164 18.9% 74.1% $70

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Boroko

$129 14.9% 66.6% $52

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Boroko

$42 4.8% 32.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Boroko

$55 6.3% 9% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $3,336 in Boroko. 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 67% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $34 in Boroko. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $204 in Boroko – so Boroko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇬 Boroko

🕒 Local time

10:50 10:50 AM

13:50 1:50 PM

3 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 PGK = 0.23 USD

1 PGK = 0.206 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, 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 = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.35 PGK (1 PGK = 0.23 USD). 1 EUR = 4.85 PGK (1 PGK = 0.206 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Boroko 6,150 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Boroko

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 Boroko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 8% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $1,302 in Boroko. 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 $3,336 in Boroko.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $333 in Boroko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $868 in Boroko. 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 $868 in Boroko to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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