Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Invercargill

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,412 in Invercargill, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Invercargill
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Invercargill Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Invercargill

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,412

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,412 in Invercargill, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Invercargill $1,412

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,099 in Invercargill, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Invercargill $2,099

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,785 in Invercargill, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Invercargill $2,785

Chiang Mai is about 34% cheaper than Invercargill, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 30% below the global median, while Invercargill is 5% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$14.04 NZ$24.83

-83.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$61.2 NZ$108

-68.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$8.32 NZ$14.71

-32.81%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$3.12 NZ$5.52

-44.87%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.65 NZ$2.92

-61.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$2.03 NZ$3.60

-83.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.74 NZ$4.85

-13.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.74 NZ$4.85

42.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.68 NZ$2.96

22.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.85 NZ$3.27

-24.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.76 NZ$3.11

-27.27%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$5.58 NZ$9.87

-59.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.23 NZ$14.55

105.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$8.83 NZ$15.61

-68.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$12.12 NZ$21.44

-22.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.55 NZ$4.50

-5.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.36 NZ$4.17

-57.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.66 NZ$4.70

-39.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$3.52 NZ$6.23

-56.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$3.21 NZ$5.68

-60.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.61 NZ$2.85

-31.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$2.33 NZ$4.13

-69.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$1.04 NZ$1.84

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$20.39 NZ$36.06

-78.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$8.56 NZ$15.14

107.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.86 NZ$5.06

-43.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.39 NZ$5.99

-15.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$1.41 NZ$2.49

-39.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$2.27 NZ$4.01

-48.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.94 NZ$3.42

-70.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$27.73 NZ$49.04

-91.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.59 NZ$2.81

-8.81%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$23.8K NZ$42.1K

-13.97%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$18.2K NZ$32.3K

45.35%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$109 NZ$192

-42.67%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$32.30 NZ$57.1

-62.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$42.46 NZ$75.1

-52.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$27.87 NZ$49.29

36.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$13.77 NZ$24.34

-72.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$8.82 NZ$15.60

-23.92%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$589 NZ$1,042

35.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$57.4 NZ$102

-7.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$35.07 NZ$62.0

-28.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$70.0 NZ$124

30.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$79.0 NZ$140

-6.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$594 NZ$1,050

-21.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$551 NZ$974

-44.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$831 NZ$1,470

10.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$764 NZ$1,350

-27.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$5,482 NZ$9,695

-65.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$5,034 NZ$8,902

-71.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$2,729 NZ$4,826

-78.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.72

-17.11%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Invercargill: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Invercargill

$551 39% 80.8% $246

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Invercargill

$298 21.1% 25.1% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Invercargill

$109 7.7% 0.8% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Invercargill

$183 13% 94% $89

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Invercargill

$209 14.8% 164% $130

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Invercargill

$18 * 1.2% 71.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Invercargill

$46 3.2% 11.4% $5.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $594 in Invercargill. 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 358% higher in Invercargill, 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 $61.0 in Invercargill. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $298 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇿 Invercargill

🕒 Local time

05:10 5:10 AM

11:10 11:10 AM

6 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

56,200

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Invercargill 10,030 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Invercargill

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 Invercargill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Invercargill costs about 51% 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,119 in Invercargill. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $61.0 in Invercargill. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Invercargill, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Invercargill at $1,412. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Invercargill it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,412 in Invercargill. 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, Invercargill makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.