Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Duncans

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,011 in Duncans, rent and utilities included – about $900 less a year. The total is higher in Duncans despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Duncans
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Duncans Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Duncans

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,011

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Duncans

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,011 in Duncans, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Duncans $1,011

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,673 in Duncans, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Duncans $1,673

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,336 in Duncans, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Duncans $2,336

Chiang Mai is about 7% cheaper than Duncans, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Duncans are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Duncans 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$13.60 JMD 2,144

-83.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$75.7 JMD 11.9K

-74.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$8.14 JMD 1,284

-31.82%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$5.44 JMD 858

-69.30%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.14 JMD 180

-43.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.71 JMD 111

-56.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.25 JMD 355

4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.21 JMD 507

14.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$4.15 JMD 655

-53.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$3.73 JMD 588

-61.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.58 JMD 249

-15.82%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.58 JMD 565

-36.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$11.50 JMD 1,813

43.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.21 JMD 979

-55.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.34 JMD 1,631

-9.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$6.01 JMD 947

-60.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$3.97 JMD 625

-75.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$7.54 JMD 1,190

-78.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$3.02 JMD 476

-50.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$3.32 JMD 523

-61.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$2.61 JMD 411

-57.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$3.01 JMD 475

-76.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.43 JMD 226

-65.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$9.48 JMD 1,494

-56.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$11.25 JMD 1,775

55.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.78 JMD 439

-42.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.96 JMD 625

-29.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.27 JMD 200

-8.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$3.20 JMD 505

-83.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$6.23 JMD 983

-61.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.45 JMD 228

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$44.1K JMD 7.0M

-52.23%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

-16.21%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$171 JMD 27.0K

-63.71%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$29.64 JMD 4,674

-58.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$51.8 JMD 8,166

-61.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$13.41 JMD 2,115

-51.60%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$355 JMD 56.0K

107.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$8,307 JMD 1.3M

77.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$23.91 JMD 3,771

123.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$31.38 JMD 4,949

-21.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$78.7 JMD 12.4K

16.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$103 JMD 16.3K

-30.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.45

-41.06%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Duncans: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Duncans

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Duncans

$384 38% 63.8% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Duncans

$107 10.6% 1.7% $1.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Duncans

$253 25% 168% $158

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Duncans

$224 22.1% 188% $146

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Duncans

$17 * 1.7% 71.8% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Duncans

$27 * 2.7% 46.6% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $76 in Duncans. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $384 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇯🇲 Duncans

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

13:04 1:04 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

5,153

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Duncans 15,850 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Duncans

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 Duncans: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duncans costs about 8% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,517 in Duncans. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $76 in Duncans. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Duncans, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,011 in Duncans. 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 $1,011 in Duncans. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.