Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cape Coast

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,261 in Cape Coast, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Cape Coast
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Cape Coast Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Cape Coast

🇬🇭 Ghana

$1,261

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Cape Coast

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,261 in Cape Coast, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Cape Coast $1,261

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,989 in Cape Coast, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Cape Coast $1,989

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,716 in Cape Coast, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Cape Coast $2,716

Chiang Mai is about 26% cheaper than Cape Coast, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Cape Coast are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Cape Coast 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$8.15 GHS 94.8

-72.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$51.9 GHS 603

-63.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$10.18 GHS 118

-45.09%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$4.45 GHS 51.7

-61.35%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.57 GHS 18.27

-59.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.45 GHS 5.19

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.84 GHS 21.40

28.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.20 GHS 25.56

77.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$3.64 GHS 42.35

-43.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.67 GHS 19.47

-16.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$3.07 GHS 35.70

-58.31%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.55 GHS 29.68

-11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$12.01 GHS 140

41.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$7.04 GHS 81.8

-61.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$9.76 GHS 114

-4.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.57 GHS 41.48

-32.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.38 GHS 16.10

-26.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.76 GHS 20.53

-8.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$3.63 GHS 42.26

-58.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$2.77 GHS 32.22

-53.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$2.74 GHS 31.82

-59.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.69 GHS 8.06

4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.60 GHS 7.00

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.50 GHS 29.13

73.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$7.32 GHS 85.1

142.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.28 GHS 14.86

27.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.38 GHS 27.71

19.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.73 GHS 20.07

-32.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.25 GHS 14.50

-54.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$4.26 GHS 49.55

-44.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.29 GHS 14.98

12.40%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$7,862 GHS 91.4K

160.42%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$9,880 GHS 114.9K

168.35%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$73.2 GHS 851

-14.80%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$19.55 GHS 227

-37.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$43.07 GHS 501

-53.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$12.92 GHS 150

-48.07%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$466 GHS 5,421

71.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$18.7K GHS 217.7K

-20.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$14.04 GHS 163

279.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$18.28 GHS 213

37.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$36.79 GHS 428

149.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$53.0 GHS 616

38.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$608 GHS 7,076

-23.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$589 GHS 6,848

-48.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$1,230 GHS 14.3K

-25.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$1,119 GHS 13.0K

-50.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

26.75

-79.18%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cape Coast: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Cape Coast

$589 46.7% 93.3% $284

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Cape Coast

$277 22% 16.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Cape Coast

$55 4.4% 49.8% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Cape Coast

$136 10.8% 43.6% $41

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Cape Coast

$171 13.5% 116% $92

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Cape Coast

$8 * 0.6% 87% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Cape Coast

$26 * 2.1% 49.7% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $608 in Cape Coast. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $52.0 in Cape Coast. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $277 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇬🇭 Cape Coast

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

09:25 9:25 AM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

155,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 GHS = 8.6 USD

100 GHS = 7.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 11.63 GHS (100 GHS = 8.6 USD). 1 EUR = 13.07 GHS (100 GHS = 7.65 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Cape Coast 10,890 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Cape Coast

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 Cape Coast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,892 in Cape Coast. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $938 in Chiang Mai and $1,261 in Cape Coast. That's a gap of about 34%.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $466 in Cape Coast. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Cape Coast at $1,261. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Coast it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Coast makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.