Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Crooked Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,193 in Crooked Island, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Crooked Island

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$2,193

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Crooked Island

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,193 in Crooked Island, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Crooked Island $2,193

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,537 in Crooked Island, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Crooked Island $3,537

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,882 in Crooked Island, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Crooked Island $4,882

Chiang Mai is about 57% cheaper than Crooked Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Crooked Island is 61% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$49.20 BSD 49.20

-95.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$13.18 BSD 13.18

-57.89%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$4.02 BSD 4.02

-58.46%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$4.03 BSD 4.03

-84.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.98 BSD 1.98

-84.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$5.10 BSD 5.10

-53.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$5.14 BSD 5.14

-28.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$7.91 BSD 7.91

-75.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$5.89 BSD 5.89

-75.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$3.56 BSD 3.56

-62.64%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$11.43 BSD 11.43

-80.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$13.07 BSD 13.07

25.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.90 BSD 7.90

17.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$14.30 BSD 14.30

-83.57%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.22 BSD 1.22

31.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$11.97 BSD 11.97

-87.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$2.18 BSD 2.18

-41.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$2.85 BSD 2.85

-61.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.98 BSD 0.98

-27.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$2.04 BSD 2.04

-75.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$29.46 BSD 29.46

-40.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$4.91 BSD 4.91

-67.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.87 BSD 4.87

-42.92%

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$2.02 BSD 2.02

-73.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$217 BSD 217

-71.40%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$60.7 BSD 60.7

-79.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$68.9 BSD 68.9

-70.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$81.0 BSD 81.0

-34.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$49.30 BSD 49.30

-50.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$246 BSD 246

-62.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$100 BSD 100

-28.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$554 BSD 554

-12.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$549 BSD 549

-43.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,583 BSD 1,583

-36.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,623 BSD 1,623

-60.96%

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

$1,109 BSD 1,109

-46.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Crooked Island: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Crooked Island

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Crooked Island

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Crooked Island

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Crooked Island

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Crooked Island

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Crooked Island

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Crooked Island

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $554 in Crooked Island. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 88% higher in Crooked Island, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇸 Crooked Island

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

14:33 2:33 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BSD, 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).

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Crooked Island 15,340 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Crooked Island

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 Crooked Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Crooked Island costs about 134% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,289 in Crooked Island. 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 $554 in Crooked Island.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,193 in Crooked Island. That makes Chiang Mai about 57% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 127% more in Crooked Island, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,193 in Crooked Island. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,193 in Crooked Island. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Crooked Island makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.