Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kilifi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kilifi: $645 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses 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

$936

/mo nomad

Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $645 in Kilifi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kilifi $645

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,050 in Kilifi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kilifi $1,050

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,454 in Kilifi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kilifi $1,454

Chiang Mai costs about 45% more than Kilifi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Kilifi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kilifi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$1.89 KES 245

18.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$49.35 KES 6,408

-61.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$2.28 KES 296

143.42%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.97 KES 256

-15.23%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.75 KES 97.6

-14.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.74 KES 95.5

-58.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.55 KES 202

52.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.06 KES 137

83.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.88 KES 114

63.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.06 KES 267

-35.44%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.98 KES 258

15.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.86 KES 1,020

18.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.32 KES 302

1.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.66 KES 85.5

46.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.74 KES 226

-8.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.45 KES 58.3

233.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.73 KES 95.3

75.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.79 KES 103

39.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.24 KES 31.17

104.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$12.87 KES 1,671

36.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.75 KES 227

-8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.81 KES 105

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$27.27 KES 3,541

98.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.37 KES 177

5.84%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$15.66 KES 2,034

297.00%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$10.08 KES 1,309

20.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$24.96 KES 3,242

-19.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$27.67 KES 3,593

34.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.78 KES 1,010

-16.58%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$164 KES 21.3K

349.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$4,922 KES 639.2K

199.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$9.88 KES 1,283

440.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$9.02 KES 1,171

173.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$15.60 KES 2,025

486.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$17.37 KES 2,256

314.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$332 KES 43.1K

45.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$313 KES 40.7K

-1.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$265 KES 34.4K

280.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$556 KES 72.2K

13.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$229 KES 29.7K

157.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kilifi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kilifi

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kilifi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kilifi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kilifi

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kilifi

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kilifi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kilifi

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $332 in Kilifi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $49 in Kilifi. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $125 in Kilifi – so Kilifi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇪 Kilifi

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

07:28 7:28 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

122,899

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Kilifi 6,930 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kilifi

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 Kilifi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 45% more than Kilifi, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $968 in Kilifi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kilifi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $332 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $164 in Kilifi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 87% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $645 in Kilifi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kilifi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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