Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Libreville

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,500 in Libreville, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Libreville
Learn more

Libreville Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Libreville

🇬🇦 Gabon

$1,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,500 in Libreville, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Libreville $1,500

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,441 in Libreville, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Libreville $2,441

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,382 in Libreville, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Libreville $3,382

Chiang Mai is about 38% cheaper than Libreville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Libreville is 10% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$16.95 FCFA 9,986

-86.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$67.7 FCFA 39.9K

-71.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$15.19 FCFA 8,947

-63.46%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$5.93 FCFA 3,493

-71.84%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.71 FCFA 1,009

-62.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.45 FCFA 854

-78.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.00 FCFA 587

136.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.88 FCFA 1,109

94.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$3.45 FCFA 2,034

-43.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.22 FCFA 721

18.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.93 FCFA 1,727

-54.61%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$4.22 FCFA 2,486

-45.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$10.18 FCFA 5,994

61.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$8.43 FCFA 4,966

-67.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$25.97 FCFA 15.3K

-64.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.02 FCFA 1,779

-22.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$3.76 FCFA 2,212

-74.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.73 FCFA 2,195

-57.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$3.34 FCFA 1,968

-55.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$3.05 FCFA 1,799

-58.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$4.38 FCFA 2,580

-74.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$2.08 FCFA 1,223

-65.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.58 FCFA 928

-68.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.53 FCFA 1,491

63.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$11.44 FCFA 6,737

53.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.95 FCFA 560

69.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.31 FCFA 771

112.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.35 FCFA 208

148.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$34.44 FCFA 20.3K

57.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.26 FCFA 740

-7.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.77 FCFA 453

-31.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$16.84 FCFA 9,919

-85.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.04 FCFA 611

39.42%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$29.4K FCFA 17.3M

-28.37%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$21.8K FCFA 12.8M

23.85%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$84.6 FCFA 49.8K

-26.49%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$33.55 FCFA 19.8K

-63.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$63.9 FCFA 37.7K

-68.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$64.4 FCFA 37.9K

-42.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$25.75 FCFA 15.2K

-85.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.46 FCFA 2,630

45.52%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$173 FCFA 101.9K

325.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$5,638 FCFA 3.3M

161.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$84.0 FCFA 49.5K

-36.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$43.23 FCFA 25.5K

-43.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$52.0 FCFA 30.6K

76.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$104 FCFA 61.2K

-30.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,028 FCFA 605.7K

-53.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$432 FCFA 254.3K

-28.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$2,046 FCFA 1.2M

-50.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$844 FCFA 497.3K

-24.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$3,602 FCFA 2.1M

-34.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$2,761 FCFA 1.6M

-42.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$417 FCFA 245.9K

41.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.5

-51.57%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Libreville: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Libreville

$432 28.8% 39.7% $123

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Libreville

$371 24.7% 58.1% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Libreville

$127 8.5% 17.3% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Libreville

$182 12.1% 92.7% $88

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Libreville

$274 18.3% 253% $196

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Libreville

$41 2.7% 33.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Libreville

$73 4.9% 45.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,028 in Libreville. 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 41% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $68 in Libreville. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $371 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇬🇦 Libreville

🕒 Local time

15:38 3:38 PM

09:38 9:38 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

850,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Libreville 9,940 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Libreville

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 Libreville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Libreville costs about 60% 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 $2,250 in Libreville. 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 $482 there versus $1,028 in Libreville.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $173 in Libreville. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Libreville, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,500 in Libreville. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,500 in Libreville. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.