Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Manzini

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $360 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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

$938

/mo nomad

Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$360

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $360 in Manzini, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Manzini $360

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $386 in Manzini, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Manzini $386

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $412 in Manzini, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Manzini $412

Chiang Mai costs about 160% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Manzini are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Manzini 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.25 SZL 20.61

64.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.92 SZL 15.14

52.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.86 SZL 30.67

-31.18%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.14 SZL 18.80

97.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$7.44 SZL 122

127.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.93 SZL 48.26

-6.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$1.85 SZL 30.52

405.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.38 SZL 22.72

73.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.63 SZL 10.35

60.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.76 SZL 12.55

111.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.46 SZL 7.65

230.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.62 SZL 10.13

106.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.50 SZL 8.27

122.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.41 SZL 6.75

75.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.70 SZL 11.45

-25.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.97 SZL 48.84

45.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$3.34 SZL 55.1

430.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.59 SZL 9.68

176.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$0.82 SZL 13.41

247.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.59 SZL 9.71

44.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.35 SZL 22.19

7.41%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$16.6K SZL 273.3K

23.29%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$15.5K SZL 255.3K

70.93%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$72.5 SZL 1,193

-14.02%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$11.91 SZL 196

3.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$30.58 SZL 503

-34.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$3.74 SZL 61.5

79.41%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$180 SZL 2,968

157.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$119 SZL 1,959

156.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$482 SZL 7,928

23.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Manzini: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Manzini

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Manzini

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Manzini

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Manzini

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Manzini

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Manzini

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Manzini

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $180 in Manzini. 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 24% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇿 Manzini

🕒 Local time

14:07 2:07 PM

09:07 9:07 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

110,508

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 SZL = 6.08 USD

100 SZL = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.46 SZL (100 SZL = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 SZL (100 SZL = 5.4 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Manzini 8,860 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Manzini

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 Manzini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 160% more than Manzini, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $540 in Manzini. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manzini, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $938 in Chiang Mai and $360 in Manzini. That's a gap of about 160%.

Groceries cost about 104% more in Chiang Mai, 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 Manzini, where all-in costs run around $360, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Manzini it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Manzini costs $360 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. 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 Manzini. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.