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: $848 in Chiang Mai versus $1,123 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,331 in Chiang Mai versus $1,852 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Chiang Mai versus $2,580 in Centurion.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 25% less than in Centurion, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Centurion 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿63.6

$10.60 R 172

-81.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 ฿598

$34.15 R 553

-46.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 ฿256

$4.82 R 77.9

63.28%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.4

$2.09 R 33.88

-6.70%

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

$0.85 ฿27.57

$0.98 R 15.88

-13.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.52

$0.81 R 13.10

-60.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿69.6

$2.30 R 37.27

-6.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿120

$2.50 R 40.46

47.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿53.9

$1.15 R 18.63

44.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿50.7

$1.07 R 17.26

45.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.63

$1.65 R 26.76

-27.88%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿64.7

$2.41 R 39.00

-17.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 ฿528

$8.14 R 132

99.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿103

$4.84 R 78.4

-34.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿352

$6.72 R 109

61.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ฿86.2

$1.63 R 26.44

62.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.67

$1.56 R 25.27

-21.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.7

$1.65 R 26.63

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.3

$1.60 R 25.89

-3.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.17

$1.32 R 21.43

0.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.43

$1.38 R 22.38

-12.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ฿22.04

$1.09 R 17.60

-37.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.38

$1.06 R 17.19

-46.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 ฿152

$3.10 R 50.2

50.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿552

$6.02 R 97.4

182.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿59.3

$1.51 R 24.42

20.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿103

$1.71 R 27.75

85.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿29.46

$2.18 R 35.34

-58.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ฿609

$91.2 R 1,476

-79.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.80

$1.14 R 18.44

23.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.52

$1.10 R 17.88

21.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 ฿265

$4.05 R 65.6

100.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.53

$1.26 R 20.44

1.59%

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

$21.8K ฿709.3K

$22.1K R 358.1K

-1.34%

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

$22.4K ฿728.0K

$24.0K R 388.4K

-6.66%

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

$70.5 ฿2,291

$119 R 1,934

-41.01%

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

$14.05 ฿457

$37.11 R 601

-62.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.65 ฿574

$42.50 R 688

-58.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 ฿1,342

$42.40 R 686

-2.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ฿220

$0.95 R 15.42

611.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ฿194

$7.42 R 120

-19.68%

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

$303 ฿9,846

$205 R 3,321

47.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿486.2K

$4,265 R 69.0K

250.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,778

$51.1 R 827

7.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ฿854

$32.58 R 527

-19.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,788

$86.4 R 1,398

-0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,265

$87.4 R 1,415

-20.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿13.9K

$322 R 5,217

32.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,769

$334 R 5,412

-28.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.4K

$524 R 8,480

54.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ฿16.6K

$806 R 13.0K

-36.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 ฿65.8K

$530 R 8,573

282.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ฿48.8K

$597 R 9,666

151.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.2K

$2,174 R 35.2K

-71.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

-57.23%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Last update for Centurion: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $322 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 249% 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: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $34.00 in Centurion. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $186, 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 33% 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, Centurion earns 249% less. 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: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $322 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 386% less than in Centurion. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $303 in Chiang Mai versus $205 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $848 in Chiang Mai versus $1,123 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 $848 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 33% less than in Centurion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.