Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Luanda

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $999 in Luanda, rent and utilities included – about $890 less a year. The total is higher in Luanda despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Luanda
Learn more

Luanda Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Luanda

🇦🇴 Angola

$999

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $999 in Luanda, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Luanda $999

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,896 in Luanda, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Luanda $1,896

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,793 in Luanda, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Luanda $2,793

Chiang Mai is about 7% cheaper than Luanda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Luanda are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Luanda 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$5.49 AOA 5,014

-58.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$37.38 AOA 34.1K

-47.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$6.59 AOA 6,013

-14.87%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.66 AOA 2,427

-37.59%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.34 AOA 1,226

-47.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.15 AOA 1,052

-73.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.60 AOA 1,461

50.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$1.60 AOA 1,463

131.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.97 AOA 1,798

-1.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.91 AOA 831

54.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.62 AOA 1,477

-19.14%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.83 AOA 1,672

19.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$9.68 AOA 8,839

72.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.35 AOA 3,057

-17.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$7.72 AOA 7,043

18.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.29 AOA 2,093

4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.96 AOA 874

7.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.71 AOA 2,475

-39.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.82 AOA 1,662

-17.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.59 AOA 1,450

-18.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.54 AOA 1,401

-27.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.69 AOA 1,542

-57.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.37 AOA 338

43.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$1.66 AOA 1,514

159.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$5.95 AOA 5,430

201.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.42 AOA 383

276.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$0.87 AOA 791

226.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.34 AOA 313

152.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$32.68 AOA 29.8K

63.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.07 AOA 976

13.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.90 AOA 824

-36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$5.56 AOA 5,071

-57.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.32 AOA 290

350.00%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$14.4K AOA 13.1M

43.99%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$22.5K AOA 20.6M

18.89%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$99.9 AOA 91.2K

-37.59%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$17.83 AOA 16.3K

-32.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$76.8 AOA 70.1K

-74.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$45.15 AOA 41.2K

-17.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$15.28 AOA 14.0K

-75.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$3.51 AOA 3,200

85.19%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$760 AOA 694.1K

4.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$13.1K AOA 12.0M

13.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$109 AOA 99.8K

-50.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$61.8 AOA 56.4K

-60.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$95.3 AOA 87.0K

-4.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$203 AOA 185.5K

-65.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$390 AOA 355.6K

16.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$201 AOA 183.1K

48.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$2,162 AOA 2.0M

-58.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$1,063 AOA 970.4K

-47.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$12.1K AOA 11.0M

-84.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$889 AOA 811.4K

62.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$1,379 AOA 1.3M

-57.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-73.48%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Luanda: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Luanda

$201 20.1% 32.6% $97

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Luanda

$183 18.4% 22.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Luanda

$211 21.2% 95.4% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Luanda

$195 19.5% 106% $100

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Luanda

$117 11.7% 48.6% $38

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Luanda

$40 4% 34.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Luanda

$52 5.2% 4.2% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $390 in Luanda. 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 133% higher in Luanda, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $37.00 in Luanda. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $183 in Luanda – so Luanda wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇦🇴 Luanda

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

22:34 10:34 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,600,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Angolan Kwanza AOA Kz

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 AOA = 10.96 USD

10,000 AOA = 9.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AOA, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Angolan Kwanza exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 913 AOA (1,000 AOA = 1.1 USD). 1 EUR = 1,026 AOA (10,000 AOA = 9.74 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Luanda 9,880 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Luanda

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 Luanda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Luanda costs about 8% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,498 in Luanda. 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.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $760 in Luanda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 28% cheaper in Luanda – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Luanda at $999. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Luanda it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $999 in Luanda. 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, Luanda makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.