Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Livingstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingstone: $199 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $199 in Livingstone, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Livingstone $199

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $367 in Livingstone, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Livingstone $367

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $535 in Livingstone, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Livingstone $535

Chiang Mai costs about 371% more than Livingstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Livingstone are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Livingstone 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$7.57 ZMW 153

-70.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$30.35 ZMW 613

-37.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.72 ZMW 176

-36.35%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$4.88 ZMW 98.5

-65.78%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.34 ZMW 6.80

-8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.6

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.39

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.96

Eggs

$2.28 ฿76.9

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.7

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.05

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.13

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.78

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$19.88 ZMW 401

-11.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.26

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,822

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿38.99

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.77

$2.48 ZMW 50.1

-78.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.81

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

$21.1K ฿709.5K

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

$26.9K ฿907.7K

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

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

$12.17 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,798

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,082

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿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 26, 2026

Last update for Livingstone: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Livingstone

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Livingstone

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Livingstone

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Livingstone

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Livingstone

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Livingstone

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Livingstone

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $30 in Livingstone. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $40 in Livingstone – so Livingstone wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

04:36 4:36 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

136,897

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 ZMW = 4.95 USD

100 ZMW = 4.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 33.69 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 20.19 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.95 USD). 1 EUR = 22.5 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.44 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Livingstone 8,970 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Livingstone

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 Livingstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 371% more than Livingstone, 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 $298 in Livingstone. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $199 in Livingstone. That makes Livingstone about 79% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 489% 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 $199 in Livingstone, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $199 in Livingstone to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.