Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Fiji

For one person, living is cheaper in Fiji: $693 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Fiji
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Fiji Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Fiji

🇫🇯 Fiji

$693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $693 in Fiji, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Fiji $693

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,145 in Fiji, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Fiji $1,145

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,597 in Fiji, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Fiji $1,597

Chiang Mai costs about 35% more than Fiji, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Fiji are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Fiji 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$4.32 FJD 9.63

-48.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$32.72 FJD 73.0

-41.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$6.41 FJD 14.29

-13.42%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.39 FJD 5.34

-30.13%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.34 FJD 2.99

-52.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.03 FJD 2.30

-69.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$4.11 FJD 9.17

-42.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.89 FJD 8.68

-5.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.21 FJD 2.70

61.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.25 FJD 0.56

476.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.91 FJD 2.04

46.15%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.13 FJD 6.98

-27.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$10.50 FJD 23.42

56.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$5.37 FJD 11.98

-48.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.35 FJD 3.00

74.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.91 FJD 2.02

6.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.82 FJD 4.05

-12.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.37 FJD 3.05

9.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.70 FJD 1.55

82.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.74 FJD 1.64

48.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.92 FJD 2.05

-22.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.55 FJD 1.23

-10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$10.95 FJD 24.43

-62.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$6.04 FJD 13.48

190.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$4.05 FJD 9.04

-60.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.91 FJD 8.72

-28.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.86 FJD 1.92

1.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.14 FJD 2.54

1.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.27 FJD 2.83

14.17%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$44.8K FJD 100.0K

-53.02%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$52.4 FJD 117

18.65%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$13.11 FJD 29.24

-7.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$18.07 FJD 40.31

11.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$22.50 FJD 50.2

65.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$4.33 FJD 9.65

-12.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.08 FJD 9.11

59.07%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$44.81 FJD 100.0

1542.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$19.03 FJD 42.44

180.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$29.91 FJD 66.7

205.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$677 FJD 1,510

-28.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$263 FJD 586

17.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,129 FJD 2,518

-10.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$610 FJD 1,361

3.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,281 FJD 2,857

84.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,289 FJD 2,876

23.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$533 FJD 1,188

10.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-7.17%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fiji: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Fiji

$263 37.9% 15% $46

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Fiji

$169 * 24.5% 27.7% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Fiji

$22 * 3.2% 79.7% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Fiji

$84 12.1% 11.5% $11

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Fiji

$120 17.4% 55.1% $43

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Fiji

$4.6 * 0.7% 92.5% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Fiji

$31 4.4% 39% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $677 in Fiji. 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 11% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $33 in Fiji. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $169 in Fiji – so Fiji wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇫🇯 Fiji

🕒 Local time

21:11 9:11 PM

02:11 2:11 AM

5 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

92,043

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 FJD = 0.448 USD

1 FJD = 0.403 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, 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 = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.23 FJD (1 FJD = 0.448 USD). 1 EUR = 2.48 FJD (1 FJD = 0.403 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Fiji 9,600 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Fiji

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 Fiji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 35% more than Fiji, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $1,040 in Fiji. 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 $677 in Fiji.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $33 in Fiji. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $693 in Fiji to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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