Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Freetown

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,778 in Freetown, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Freetown outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Freetown

🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

$1,778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,778 in Freetown, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Freetown $1,778

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,510 in Freetown, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Freetown $1,510

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,242 in Freetown, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Freetown $1,242

Chiang Mai is about 47% cheaper than Freetown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.06 SLL 47.0K

8.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$39.83 SLL 909.5K

-52.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$11.04 SLL 252.0K

-49.73%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.79 SLL 63.6K

-40.14%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$1.81 SLL 41.4K

-64.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$0.89 SLL 20.3K

-65.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.31 SLL 52.6K

2.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.49 SLL 79.6K

4.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.38 SLL 54.4K

-18.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$0.63 SLL 14.4K

128.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$1.26 SLL 28.8K

5.56%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.85 SLL 42.3K

23.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$7.19 SLL 164.2K

128.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$9.97 SLL 227.6K

-72.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$5.35 SLL 122.2K

74.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$6.80 SLL 155.3K

-65.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$2.92 SLL 66.7K

-66.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.68 SLL 15.6K

135.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.92 SLL 112.2K

-69.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$1.95 SLL 44.6K

-34.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$1.60 SLL 36.4K

-31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$1.11 SLL 25.3K

-55.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.03 SLL 69.3K

36.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$8.02 SLL 183.1K

118.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.54 SLL 35.2K

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.03 SLL 46.4K

36.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$0.42 SLL 9,498

107.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$0.48 SLL 10.9K

141.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$0.48 SLL 11.0K

10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$1.35 SLL 30.8K

7.41%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$11.8K SLL 268.8M

78.89%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$25.1K SLL 572.4M

7.48%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$59.2 SLL 1.4M

5.05%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$10.10 SLL 230.6K

20.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$55.9 SLL 1.3M

-63.98%

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 ฿498.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$10.09 SLL 230.4K

428.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$20.05 SLL 457.8K

356.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$50.9 SLL 1.2M

41.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$942 SLL 21.5M

-48.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,240 SLL 28.3M

-75.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$3,508 SLL 80.1M

-71.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

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

$1,332 SLL 30.4M

-55.72%

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 Freetown: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Freetown

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Freetown

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Freetown

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Freetown

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Freetown

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Freetown

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Freetown

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $942 in Freetown. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Freetown are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $40 in Freetown. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $259 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇱 Freetown

🕒 Local time

01:26 1:26 AM

18:26 6:26 PM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

951,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sierra Leonean Leone SLL Le

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD

100,000 SLL = 3.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SLL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Sierra Leonean Leone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 22,833 SLL (100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD). 1 EUR = 25,480 SLL (100,000 SLL = 3.92 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Freetown 12,000 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Freetown

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 Freetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Freetown costs about 90% 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 $2,667 in Freetown. 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 $942 in Freetown.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,778 in Freetown. That makes Chiang Mai about 47% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Freetown, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,778 in Freetown. 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 $1,778 in Freetown. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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