Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Centurion Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Centurion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $926 in Chiang Mai versus $1,409 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,381 in Chiang Mai versus $2,278 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $3,146 in Centurion.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 34% less than in Centurion, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Centurion is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ฿70.6

$21.70 R 356

-90.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.22 ฿645

$40.89 R 672

-53.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿184

$5.78 R 94.9

-5.36%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ฿56.6

$2.60 R 42.77

-35.00%

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

$0.65 ฿21.72

$1.02 R 16.69

-36.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.33

$0.82 R 13.39

-62.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.8

$2.14 R 35.15

8.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 ฿131

$2.38 R 39.11

64.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.20 R 19.70

72.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 ฿51.4

$1.22 R 19.97

25.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 ฿41.95

$2.20 R 36.13

-43.18%

Eggs

$2.19 ฿73.6

$3.11 R 51.1

-29.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 ฿535

$10.27 R 169

55.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.7

$6.85 R 112

-59.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 ฿327

$7.21 R 118

35.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 ฿89.2

$1.83 R 30.12

45.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 ฿35.34

$1.86 R 30.58

-43.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.21 R 36.24

-24.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ฿49.52

$2.13 R 35.03

-30.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ฿40.76

$1.60 R 26.29

-24.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.98

$1.81 R 29.66

-39.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.51

$1.38 R 22.64

-44.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.67

$1.41 R 23.23

-64.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$3.63 R 59.6

20.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.50 ฿587

$6.06 R 99.5

188.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.60 R 26.30

3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.2

$2.04 R 33.48

36.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.90

$2.47 R 40.64

-65.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.7 ฿1,804

$98.7 R 1,621

-45.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.89

$1.19 R 19.55

2.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.81

$1.19 R 19.58

-52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 ฿78.6

$9.20 R 151

-74.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.60

$1.46 R 24.00

-0.68%

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

$21.1K ฿706.8K

$35.3K R 579.2K

-40.31%

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

$26.3K ฿882.8K

$33.0K R 542.1K

-20.33%

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

$63.6 ฿2,135

$142 R 2,333

-55.24%

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

$12.56 ฿422

$30.36 R 499

-58.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.04 ฿673

$40.37 R 663

-50.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.73 ฿1,300

$44.55 R 732

-13.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.80 ฿128

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ฿217

$10.51 R 173

-38.44%

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

$777 ฿26.1K

$320 R 5,260

142.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿489.4K

$4,439 R 72.9K

228.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 ฿1,854

$58.4 R 958

-5.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.77 ฿832

$44.26 R 727

-44.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ฿3,031

$121 R 1,982

-25.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,468

$104 R 1,711

-29.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 ฿15.7K

$346 R 5,690

34.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 ฿9,607

$371 R 6,091

-22.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 ฿29.1K

$588 R 9,657

47.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 ฿17.6K

$932 R 15.3K

-43.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,978 ฿66.4K

$518 R 8,510

281.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,461 ฿49.1K

$625 R 10.3K

133.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$581 ฿19.5K

$2,370 R 38.9K

-75.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.5

-46.95%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 26, 2026

Last update for Centurion: September 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $466 in Chiang Mai and $346 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 308% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $41.00 in Centurion. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $227, with Centurion cheaper for home cooking.

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 Centurion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Centurion. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 308% lower in Centurion. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $466 in Chiang Mai versus $346 in Centurion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 84% less than in Centurion. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $777 in Chiang Mai versus $320 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $926 in Chiang Mai versus $1,409 in Centurion, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Centurion. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $926 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Centurion are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Centurion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.