Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Canterbury, New Zealand

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Canterbury: $936 and $915 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Canterbury
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Canterbury Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Canterbury

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $915 in Canterbury, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Canterbury $915

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,521 in Canterbury, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Canterbury $1,521

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,127 in Canterbury, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Canterbury $2,127

Chiang Mai and Canterbury have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Canterbury are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Canterbury 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$13.95 NZ$24.76

-83.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$63.7 NZ$113

-70.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$11.52 NZ$20.45

-51.82%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.06 NZ$5.44

-45.42%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.07 NZ$3.67

-69.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$2.11 NZ$3.75

-85.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$3.94 NZ$7.00

-40.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.09 NZ$10.82

-39.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.22 NZ$3.93

-12.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$1.93 NZ$3.42

-25.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.69 NZ$3.01

-21.30%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$5.53 NZ$9.82

-58.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$8.34 NZ$14.81

97.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$9.17 NZ$16.28

-69.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$16.50 NZ$29.30

-43.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.91 NZ$5.16

-19.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$2.21 NZ$3.93

-56.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.30 NZ$5.85

-51.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$5.19 NZ$9.21

-71.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$1.85 NZ$3.29

-30.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$1.87 NZ$3.32

-41.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$2.33 NZ$4.14

-69.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.59 NZ$1.06

-16.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$21.06 NZ$37.39

-80.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$9.26 NZ$16.44

89.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$3.21 NZ$5.71

-49.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.20 NZ$2.13

131.67%

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

$5.73 NZ$10.17

-79.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$28.19 NZ$50.1

-91.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.60 NZ$2.84

-9.38%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$28.5K NZ$50.6K

-26.10%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$23.3K NZ$41.3K

15.79%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$113 NZ$201

-45.02%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$29.09 NZ$51.6

-58.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$51.7 NZ$91.8

-61.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$11.46 NZ$20.34

-43.37%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$590 NZ$1,048

24.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$59.9 NZ$106

-10.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$22.35 NZ$39.69

10.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$91.2 NZ$162

0.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$139 NZ$247

-48.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$898 NZ$1,595

-46.30%

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

$2,733 NZ$4,853

-78.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

39.25%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Canterbury: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Canterbury

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Canterbury

$320 35% 36.7% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Canterbury

$141 15.4% 29.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Canterbury

$194 21.2% 105% $99

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Canterbury

$232 25.3% 198% $154

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Canterbury

$5.7 * 0.6% 90.7% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Canterbury

$23 * 2.5% 54.4% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $898 in Canterbury. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Canterbury are about 4.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $64 in Canterbury. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $320 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇿 Canterbury

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

07:03 7:03 AM

6 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Canterbury 10,160 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Canterbury

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 Canterbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,373 in Canterbury. 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 $898 in Canterbury.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $590 in Canterbury. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 27% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $915 in Canterbury, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $915 in Canterbury to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.