Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Golden Grove Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Golden Grove

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $855 in Golden Grove, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,425 in Golden Grove, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,995 in Golden Grove, rent included.

Chiang Mai and Golden Grove have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Golden Grove are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Golden Grove 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.3

$7.33 JMD 1,153

-72.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿625

$63.6 JMD 9,998

-70.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$8.93 JMD 1,404

-11.98%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.8

$4.30 JMD 676

-52.79%

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

$0.80 ฿26.67

$1.35 JMD 213

-40.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.69

$0.76 JMD 119

-53.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.6

$2.57 JMD 404

-16.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.22 JMD 507

13.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$4.43 JMD 697

-60.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.5

$3.65 JMD 574

-56.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.04

$1.55 JMD 243

-22.58%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.9

$3.45 JMD 542

-42.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿542

$10.88 JMD 1,710

49.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$6.46 JMD 1,015

-52.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿361

$7.52 JMD 1,182

43.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.5

$6.05 JMD 951

-54.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.99

$3.11 JMD 490

-62.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$4.32 JMD 680

-60.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$3.00 JMD 471

-47.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.56

$2.08 JMD 326

-33.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.61

$1.92 JMD 301

-39.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.08

$3.01 JMD 472

-78.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.33

$0.40 JMD 62.3

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$8.71 JMD 1,370

-46.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿594

$11.34 JMD 1,782

56.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.7

$2.84 JMD 446

-36.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿112

$3.10 JMD 488

7.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿623

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.10

$1.12 JMD 177

25.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.76

$3.26 JMD 513

-58.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿271

$6.28 JMD 988

29.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.21

$1.24 JMD 195

-0.81%

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

$21.4K ฿715.9K

$42.1K JMD 6.6M

-49.08%

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

$21.8K ฿728.9K

$33.6K JMD 5.3M

-35.08%

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

$71.3 ฿2,382

$166 JMD 26.1K

-57.07%

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

$14.01 ฿468

$22.15 JMD 3,482

-36.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿599

$50.5 JMD 7,936

-64.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,363

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$13.39 JMD 2,104

-57.28%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$226 JMD 35.5K

36.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿490.3K

$2,471 JMD 388.4K

494.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,863

$25.83 JMD 4,060

115.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿870

$25.17 JMD 3,956

3.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,833

$70.8 JMD 11.1K

19.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,371

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

-5.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,098

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

-45.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Golden Grove: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $64.0 in Golden Grove. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $339 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Golden Grove: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,279 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,283 in Golden Grove. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Golden Grove, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $64.0 in Golden Grove. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $855 in Golden Grove, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $855 in Golden Grove. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Golden Grove makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.