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: $912 in Chiang Mai versus $1,371 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,390 in Chiang Mai versus $2,224 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in Chiang Mai versus $3,077 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 33% below, Centurion is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ฿68.1

$22.14 R 357

-90.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.99 ฿661

$41.63 R 672

-51.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 ฿190

$5.92 R 95.6

-3.21%

Cappuccino

$1.71 ฿56.4

$2.74 R 44.24

-37.59%

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

$0.73 ฿24.27

$0.99 R 16.03

-26.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.06

$0.83 R 13.47

-63.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿80.6

$2.14 R 34.57

14.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 ฿127

$2.51 R 40.46

53.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 ฿64.3

$1.24 R 20.07

56.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ฿53.1

$1.29 R 20.86

24.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.07

$2.14 R 34.57

-37.85%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿73.2

$3.15 R 50.8

-29.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.29 ฿506

$10.30 R 166

48.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.80 ฿92.6

$6.99 R 113

-59.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿356

$7.43 R 120

44.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 ฿81.5

$1.86 R 30.05

32.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.09

$1.86 R 30.03

-41.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ฿51.5

$2.24 R 36.14

-30.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿49.83

$2.15 R 34.67

-29.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 ฿41.82

$1.55 R 24.98

-18.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.13

$1.84 R 29.77

-42.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.53

$1.39 R 22.42

-48.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.44

$1.43 R 23.09

-62.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 ฿139

$3.37 R 54.4

24.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.47 ฿545

$6.32 R 102

160.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ฿56.7

$1.68 R 27.08

2.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿94.1

$2.17 R 35.00

31.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.76

$2.41 R 38.94

-61.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.6 ฿1,772

$97.7 R 1,577

-45.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ฿39.41

$1.22 R 19.69

-2.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ฿18.07

$1.22 R 19.69

-54.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 ฿81.7

$9.01 R 145

-72.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.21

$1.48 R 23.86

0.68%

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

$21.1K ฿697.7K

$36.7K R 592.8K

-42.55%

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

$27.4K ฿904.9K

$32.8K R 529.3K

-16.56%

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

$64.5 ฿2,131

$118 R 1,909

-45.50%

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

$13.08 ฿433

$31.18 R 503

-58.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.72 ฿652

$40.94 R 661

-51.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.94 ฿1,288

$44.34 R 716

-12.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.96 ฿131

$1.05 R 16.97

277.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.81 ฿225

$10.96 R 177

-37.86%

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

$795 ฿26.3K

$319 R 5,151

149.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿488.7K

$4,423 R 71.4K

234.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,858

$54.4 R 878

3.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.71 ฿850

$45.37 R 732

-43.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,028

$106 R 1,706

-13.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 ฿2,414

$105 R 1,698

-30.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.0K

$355 R 5,732

36.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 ฿9,285

$383 R 6,185

-26.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$899 ฿29.7K

$580 R 9,365

54.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿17.0K

$965 R 15.6K

-46.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,009 ฿66.5K

$522 R 8,432

284.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,458 ฿48.2K

$602 R 9,710

142.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 ฿19.6K

$2,170 R 35.0K

-72.62%

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: August 10, 2026

Last update for Centurion: August 10, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $484 in Chiang Mai and $355 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 265% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $42.00 in Centurion. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $231, 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 50% 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 265% 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: $484 in Chiang Mai versus $355 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 82% less than in Centurion. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $795 in Chiang Mai versus $319 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $912 in Chiang Mai versus $1,371 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 $912 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 50% less than in Centurion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.