Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Fuvahmulah

For one person, living is cheaper in Fuvahmulah: $774 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

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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

$938

/mo nomad

Fuvahmulah

🇲🇻 Maldives

$774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $774 in Fuvahmulah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Fuvahmulah $774

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,109 in Fuvahmulah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Fuvahmulah $1,109

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,443 in Fuvahmulah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Fuvahmulah $1,443

Chiang Mai costs about 21% more than Fuvahmulah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Fuvahmulah are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Fuvahmulah 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.64 MVR 25.22

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.92 MVR 14.15

52.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.47 MVR 7.20

172.34%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.53 MVR 23.64

47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$6.57 MVR 101

157.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.65 MVR 71.8

-41.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$13.08 MVR 202

-28.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.27 MVR 50.4

-26.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.28 MVR 19.67

-21.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$3.34 MVR 51.4

-51.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.64 MVR 25.30

-7.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.13 MVR 17.42

13.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.11 MVR 17.12

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.67 MVR 25.69

-56.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.67 MVR 10.31

-22.39%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.82 MVR 59.0

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$6.82 MVR 105

-36.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.66 MVR 10.18

28.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$19.12 MVR 295

181.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.58 MVR 24.29

-25.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.67 MVR 25.69

-65.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$6.64 MVR 102

-64.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.30 MVR 20.05

11.54%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$19.7K MVR 303.1K

4.15%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$22.7K MVR 350.2K

16.75%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$162 MVR 2,494

-61.46%

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

$12.27 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$38.76 MVR 598

-48.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$22.86 MVR 353

65.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$13.05 MVR 201

-71.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$6.41 MVR 98.8

4.68%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$157 MVR 2,416

408.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$2,222 MVR 34.3K

567.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$28.80 MVR 444

84.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$19.41 MVR 299

29.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$38.30 MVR 591

139.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$51.6 MVR 796

42.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$328 MVR 5,054

41.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$263 MVR 4,053

15.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$549 MVR 8,465

66.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$508 MVR 7,840

8.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$342 MVR 5,279

320.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$649 MVR 10.0K

-8.36%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Fuvahmulah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Fuvahmulah

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Fuvahmulah

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Fuvahmulah

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Fuvahmulah

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Fuvahmulah

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Fuvahmulah

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Fuvahmulah

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $328 in Fuvahmulah. 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 9% higher in Fuvahmulah, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇻 Fuvahmulah

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

17:35 5:35 PM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

11,140

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MVR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.34 MVR (100 MVR = 5.77 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Fuvahmulah 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Fuvahmulah

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 Fuvahmulah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 21% more than Fuvahmulah, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,162 in Fuvahmulah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fuvahmulah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 182% less in Fuvahmulah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 31% 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.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Fuvahmulah, where all-in costs run around $774, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Fuvahmulah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fuvahmulah costs $774 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Fuvahmulah. 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.