Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Hay River, NT

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,243 in Hay River, NT, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Hay River, NT
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Hay River, NT Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Hay River, NT

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,243

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Hay River, NT

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 Hay River, NT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,243 in Hay River, NT, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Hay River, NT $2,243

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,217 in Hay River, NT, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Hay River, NT $3,217

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,192 in Hay River, NT, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Hay River, NT $4,192

Chiang Mai is about 58% cheaper than Hay River, NT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Hay River, NT is 66% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$17.96 CA$25.26

-88.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$65.3 CA$91.9

-71.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$10.55 CA$14.84

-46.92%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$3.76 CA$5.28

-55.85%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$1.98 CA$2.79

-67.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$1.68 CA$2.37

-82.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$5.07 CA$7.13

-54.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$5.54 CA$7.79

-33.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$2.10 CA$2.95

-3.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$2.47 CA$3.48

-42.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$3.50 CA$4.92

-60.29%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$3.45 CA$4.86

-31.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$10.10 CA$14.20

63.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$11.64 CA$16.38

-77.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$14.78 CA$20.79

-38.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$3.81 CA$5.35

-37.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.36 CA$1.92

-23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.77 CA$5.30

-55.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$3.90 CA$5.48

-60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$2.45 CA$3.45

-49.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$2.17 CA$3.05

-49.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$2.47 CA$3.47

-69.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$1.58 CA$2.22

-67.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$14.41 CA$20.27

-71.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$12.85 CA$18.08

39.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.84 CA$3.99

-42.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$3.19 CA$4.48

-11.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$2.38 CA$3.34

-60.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$63.3 CA$89.0

-16.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$2.86 CA$4.02

-58.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$1.43 CA$2.01

-88.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$23.34 CA$32.83

-92.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$1.22 CA$1.71

20.49%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$27.9K CA$39.2K

-24.69%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$21.6K CA$30.3K

22.92%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$136 CA$191

-53.86%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$38.85 CA$54.6

-70.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$54.2 CA$76.3

-62.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$37.47 CA$52.7

1.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$18.40 CA$25.88

-79.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$10.83 CA$15.23

-39.89%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$641 CA$901

13.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$13.5K CA$19.0K

22.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$55.4 CA$77.8

-3.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$39.28 CA$55.2

-36.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$85.3 CA$120

6.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$105 CA$147

-31.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$1,143 CA$1,608

-57.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$1,118 CA$1,572

-72.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$1,980 CA$2,784

-46.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$1,645 CA$2,313

-59.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$4,323 CA$6,079

-44.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$3,528 CA$4,962

-54.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$4,215 CA$5,928

-85.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.68

19.02%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Hay River, NT: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Hay River, NT

$1.1K 49.8% 261% $808

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Hay River, NT

$355 15.8% 50% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Hay River, NT

$128 5.7% 18.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Hay River, NT

$229 10.2% 142% $134

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Hay River, NT

$272 12.1% 255% $195

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Hay River, NT

$83 3.7% 41.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Hay River, NT

$59 2.6% 16.2% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,143 in Hay River, NT. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hay River, NT are about 7.1 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 Hay River, NT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $355 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇦 Hay River, NT

🕒 Local time

00:21 12:21 AM

11:21 11:21 AM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,600

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Hay River, NT 10,630 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Hay River, NT

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 Hay River, NT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hay River, NT costs about 140% 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 $3,364 in Hay River, NT. 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 $481 there versus $1,143 in Hay River, NT.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $641 in Hay River, NT. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Hay River, NT, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,243 in Hay River, NT. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $2,243 in Hay River, NT. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hay River, NT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.