Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Humboldt

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,214 in Humboldt, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 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
105

Cost of Living Index in Humboldt
Learn more

Humboldt Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Humboldt

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,214

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,214 in Humboldt, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Humboldt $2,214

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,083 in Humboldt, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Humboldt $3,083

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,953 in Humboldt, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Humboldt $3,953

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

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Humboldt is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$10.62 CA$14.94

-79.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$32.24 CA$45.34

-42.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$10.67 CA$15.00

-47.52%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$3.63 CA$5.10

-54.27%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$2.17 CA$3.04

-70.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$0.88 CA$1.24

-65.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$4.38 CA$6.16

-47.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$4.32 CA$6.07

-15.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.51 CA$2.13

33.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$1.82 CA$2.56

-22.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$2.98 CA$4.19

-53.36%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$1.83 CA$2.57

29.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$13.77 CA$19.37

19.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$11.47 CA$16.14

-76.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$16.66 CA$23.43

-45.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$4.27 CA$6.01

-43.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.47 CA$2.07

-29.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.83 CA$5.39

-56.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$3.61 CA$5.07

-56.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$2.20 CA$3.10

-43.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$2.42 CA$3.40

-54.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$2.56 CA$3.60

-70.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$1.96 CA$2.76

-73.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$14.98 CA$21.07

-72.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$13.22 CA$18.59

35.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$3.50 CA$4.92

-53.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$3.34 CA$4.70

-15.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$2.34 CA$3.29

-60.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$63.2 CA$88.9

-16.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$3.68 CA$5.17

-67.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$0.74 CA$1.04

-77.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$21.26 CA$29.90

-91.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$1.06 CA$1.49

38.68%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$28.7K CA$40.3K

-26.74%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$22.0K CA$30.9K

20.76%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$123 CA$172

-48.93%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$51.7 CA$72.8

-77.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$57.6 CA$81.0

-64.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$38.51 CA$54.2

-1.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$17.91 CA$25.19

-79.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$10.48 CA$14.74

-37.88%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$442 CA$622

64.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$10.7K CA$15.1K

54.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$52.6 CA$73.9

1.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$38.75 CA$54.5

-36.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$94.1 CA$132

-3.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$106 CA$149

-32.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$1,298 CA$1,825

-62.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$1,147 CA$1,613

-72.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$2,009 CA$2,825

-47.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$1,697 CA$2,386

-61.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$4,426 CA$6,224

-45.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$3,547 CA$4,988

-54.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.58

21.62%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Humboldt: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Humboldt

$1.1K 51.8% 270% $837

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Humboldt

$361 16.3% 52.4% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Humboldt

$131 5.9% 21% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Humboldt

$232 10.5% 145% $137

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Humboldt

$203 9.2% 166% $127

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Humboldt

$80 3.6% 36.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Humboldt

$59 2.7% 16.8% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,298 in Humboldt. 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $32 in Humboldt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $361 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇦 Humboldt

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

09:22 9:22 AM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

5,700

💱 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 Humboldt 11,780 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Humboldt

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 Humboldt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Humboldt costs about 137% 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 $3,320 in Humboldt. 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 $1,298 in Humboldt.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $442 in Humboldt. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Humboldt, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,214 in Humboldt. 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 $2,214 in Humboldt. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 58% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.