Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Hartebeespoort Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Hartebeespoort

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $862 in Hartebeespoort, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,369 in Hartebeespoort, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,876 in Hartebeespoort, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 1% cheaper than Hartebeespoort, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$7.10 R 119

-72.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$33.19 R 557

-43.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$4.80 R 80.6

65.00%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$1.84 R 30.91

3.80%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.98 R 16.38

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.73 R 12.30

-52.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.97 R 33.12

12.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$2.15 R 36.14

76.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.97 R 16.23

69.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.98 R 16.46

65.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$1.41 R 23.70

-16.31%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$2.24 R 37.53

-10.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$6.44 R 108

146.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$4.18 R 70.1

-27.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

$6.21 R 104

73.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$1.46 R 24.50

78.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$1.37 R 23.01

-10.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$1.32 R 22.15

28.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$1.37 R 22.92

15.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$1.20 R 20.08

10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$1.21 R 20.32

-3.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.88 R 14.76

-23.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.89 R 14.88

-37.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$2.87 R 48.10

57.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$4.97 R 83.3

266.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.21 R 20.34

51.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.67 R 27.93

93.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$2.29 R 38.45

-61.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

$45.70 R 766

-57.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$1.13 R 18.97

19.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.90 R 15.04

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$4.42 R 74.1

86.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$1.22 R 20.41

4.10%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$17.8K R 298.5K

18.84%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$22.6K R 379.5K

-0.63%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$93.6 R 1,569

-25.01%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$18.83 R 316

-26.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$31.40 R 527

-43.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$29.23 R 490

42.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$8.81 R 148

-25.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$5.50 R 92.3

5.09%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$205 R 3,433

49.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$4,177 R 70.1K

254.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$41.02 R 688

32.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$24.28 R 407

7.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$67.4 R 1,131

25.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$53.5 R 897

29.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$230 R 3,854

84.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$258 R 4,331

-7.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$578 R 9,686

42.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$538 R 9,017

-4.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$461 R 7,739

344.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$590 R 9,901

157.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$2,077 R 34.8K

-69.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.59

-47.86%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hartebeespoort: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Chiang Mai versus $230 in Hartebeespoort. 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 227% higher in Hartebeespoort, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $33.00 in Hartebeespoort. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $160 in Hartebeespoort – so Hartebeespoort wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Hartebeespoort: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hartebeespoort costs about 1% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,278 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,293 in Hartebeespoort. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $306 per month in Chiang Mai and $205 in Hartebeespoort. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 52% cheaper in Hartebeespoort – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $862 in Hartebeespoort, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $862 in Hartebeespoort. 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, Hartebeespoort makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.