Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Holetown

For one person, living is cheaper in Holetown: $363 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Holetown

🇧🇧 Barbados

$363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Holetown

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $363 in Holetown, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Holetown $363

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $805 in Holetown, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Holetown $805

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,247 in Holetown, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Holetown $1,247

Chiang Mai costs about 159% more than Holetown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Holetown are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Holetown 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$12.65 BBD 25.29

-82.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$103 BBD 206

-81.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$13.22 BBD 26.43

-57.72%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$4.57 BBD 9.14

-62.36%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.53 BBD 3.06

-58.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$1.23 BBD 2.45

-73.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.78 BBD 3.57

32.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.95 BBD 5.91

32.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$1.78 BBD 3.55

-52.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$12.27 ฿410

$29.69 BBD 59.4

-58.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$79.1 BBD 158

-52.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$12.54 BBD 25.09

-46.49%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$6,255 BBD 12.5K

137.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Holetown: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Holetown

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Holetown

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Holetown

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Holetown

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Holetown

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Holetown

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Holetown

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $103 in Holetown. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇧 Holetown

🕒 Local time

16:34 4:34 PM

05:34 5:34 AM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,500

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Barbados Dollar BBD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.445 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BBD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.25 BBD (1 BBD = 0.445 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Holetown 15,760 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Holetown

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 Holetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 159% more than Holetown, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $544 in Holetown. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $938 in Chiang Mai and $363 in Holetown. That's a gap of about 159%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $103 in Holetown. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Holetown, where all-in costs run around $363, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Holetown it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Holetown costs $363 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. 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 Holetown. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.