Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Green Island Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Green Island

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $872 per month in Chiang Mai vs $875 in Green Island, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,337 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,445 in Green Island, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,802 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,014 in Green Island, rent included.

Chiang Mai and Green Island have comparable living costs — the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Green Island are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Green Island 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.01 ฿64.5

$7.65 JMD 1,211

-73.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.23 ฿584

$63.1 JMD 9,978

-71.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ฿245

$8.90 JMD 1,409

-14.04%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿61.5

$4.45 JMD 704

-56.85%

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

$0.84 ฿26.96

$1.37 JMD 217

-38.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.42

$0.75 JMD 118

-52.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 ฿70.2

$2.49 JMD 394

-12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿121

$3.15 JMD 499

20.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿52.5

$4.43 JMD 701

-62.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿51.9

$3.64 JMD 577

-55.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 ฿36.96

$1.62 JMD 256

-29.01%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿62.1

$3.44 JMD 544

-43.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 ฿511

$11.15 JMD 1,764

42.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ฿99.4

$6.45 JMD 1,021

-51.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ฿355

$7.52 JMD 1,191

47.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿86.7

$6.06 JMD 959

-55.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿37.77

$3.05 JMD 482

-61.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿54.6

$4.28 JMD 678

-60.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.4

$2.95 JMD 466

-45.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿44.63

$2.03 JMD 321

-31.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ฿36.78

$1.95 JMD 308

-41.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿22.81

$3.06 JMD 485

-76.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿17.63

$1.44 JMD 228

-61.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 ฿146

$8.55 JMD 1,354

-46.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.87 ฿605

$11.58 JMD 1,833

62.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.3

$2.77 JMD 438

-34.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ฿103

$3.04 JMD 481

5.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.89 ฿605

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.27

$1.09 JMD 172

29.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 ฿41.68

$3.25 JMD 515

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 ฿263

$6.10 JMD 966

34.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.27

$1.25 JMD 197

-1.60%

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

$21.2K ฿678.5K

$42.6K JMD 6.7M

-50.33%

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

$22.3K ฿714.9K

$34.2K JMD 5.4M

-34.78%

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

$69.9 ฿2,239

$164 JMD 26.0K

-57.39%

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

$14.07 ฿451

$22.48 JMD 3,558

-37.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.70 ฿567

$50.2 JMD 7,947

-64.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.41 ฿1,327

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 ฿214

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ฿184

$13.13 JMD 2,078

-56.28%

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

$299 ฿9,587

$228 JMD 36.2K

30.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿480.9K

$2,498 JMD 395.4K

500.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,756

$25.89 JMD 4,097

111.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.35 ฿844

$25.22 JMD 3,992

4.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 ฿2,712

$72.1 JMD 11.4K

17.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,234

$74.7 JMD 11.8K

-6.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 ฿13.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ฿7,713

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 ฿64.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,524 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$639 ฿20.5K

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Green Island: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $427 in Chiang Mai versus $0 in Green Island. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Chiang Mai versus $63 in Green Island. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $352 – 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 Green Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,308 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,313 in Green Island. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Green Island, 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $63.0 in Green Island. 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 $872 in Chiang Mai and $875 in Green Island, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $872 versus $875 in Green Island. 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, Green Island makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.