Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Grand Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,176 in Grand Bay, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Grand Bay
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Grand Bay Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Grand Bay

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$1,176

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Grand Bay

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,176 in Grand Bay, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Grand Bay $1,176

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,245 in Grand Bay, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Grand Bay $2,245

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,314 in Grand Bay, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Grand Bay $3,314

Chiang Mai is about 20% cheaper than Grand Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Grand Bay are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Grand Bay 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$5.90 MUR 280

-62.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$64.7 MUR 3,066

-70.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.30 MUR 346

-23.97%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.59 MUR 123

-35.52%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.13 MUR 53.5

-43.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.67 MUR 31.54

-53.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.73 MUR 129

-13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.77 MUR 226

-23.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.43 MUR 67.6

36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.74 MUR 35.19

94.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.16 MUR 54.8

14.66%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.31 MUR 109

-1.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$20.96 MUR 994

-21.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.27 MUR 297

-55.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$21.74 MUR 1,031

-57.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.89 MUR 89.7

24.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.97 MUR 93.4

-50.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.40 MUR 66.5

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$2.86 MUR 135

-47.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.00 MUR 47.50

28.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.96 MUR 45.63

14.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.69 MUR 32.71

2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.53 MUR 25.11

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.41 MUR 304

-35.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$8.65 MUR 410

102.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.64 MUR 77.6

-1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.98 MUR 93.8

40.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.05 MUR 49.67

-17.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$4.28 MUR 203

-72.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$2.45 MUR 116

-78.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$21.15 MUR 1,003

-88.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.36 MUR 64.3

6.62%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$34.9K MUR 1.7M

-39.67%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$37.6K MUR 1.8M

-28.42%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$45.94 MUR 2,178

35.33%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$15.52 MUR 736

-21.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$29.26 MUR 1,387

-31.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$59.3 MUR 2,810

-37.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.40 MUR 303

1.41%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$126 MUR 5,969

484.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$7,744 MUR 367.1K

90.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$60.8 MUR 2,883

-12.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$64.0 MUR 3,034

-61.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$106 MUR 5,022

-13.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$88.7 MUR 4,206

-18.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$596 MUR 28.2K

-19.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$439 MUR 20.8K

-29.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$2,038 MUR 96.6K

-50.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,459 MUR 69.2K

-56.57%

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

$1,281 MUR 60.7K

-53.97%

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 Grand Bay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Grand Bay

$439 37.3% 42% $130

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Grand Bay

$280 23.8% 19.3% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Grand Bay

$144 12.2% 32.3% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Grand Bay

$91 7.7% 4% $3.7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Grand Bay

$131 11.1% 68.2% $53

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Grand Bay

$21 * 1.8% 66.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Grand Bay

$72 6.1% 43.4% $22

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 $596 in Grand Bay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Grand Bay are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $65 in Grand Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $280 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇺 Grand Bay

🕒 Local time

22:23 10:23 PM

19:23 7:23 PM

3 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

11,900

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MUR = 2.11 USD

100 MUR = 1.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, 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).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 47.41 MUR (100 MUR = 2.11 USD). 1 EUR = 52.77 MUR (100 MUR = 1.9 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Grand Bay 6,240 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Grand Bay

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 Grand Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grand Bay costs about 26% 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 $1,764 in Grand Bay. 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 $596 in Grand Bay.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $65 in Grand Bay. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Grand Bay, 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 $1,176 in Grand Bay. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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, Grand Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.