Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Maple Ridge

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,531 in Maple Ridge, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Maple Ridge, Canada
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Maple Ridge
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,531
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Maple Ridge

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,531 in Maple Ridge, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Maple Ridge $2,531

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,667 in Maple Ridge, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Maple Ridge $3,667

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,803 in Maple Ridge, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Maple Ridge $4,803

Chiang Mai is about 63% cheaper than Maple Ridge, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Maple Ridge is 86% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Maple Ridge
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$17.88 CA$24.98
-87.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$64.3 CA$89.9
-70.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$11.71 CA$16.37
-52.60%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$3.98 CA$5.55
-58.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.55
$2.00 CA$2.79
-68.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.31
$1.57 CA$2.19
-80.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$5.28 CA$7.38
-55.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$3.48 CA$4.87
5.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Maple Ridge
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$2.79 CA$3.90
-30.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.48
$2.25 CA$3.15
-36.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.04
$2.58 CA$3.61
-48.45%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$3.45 CA$4.83
-33.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$11.44 CA$15.99
43.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$10.84 CA$15.15
-74.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$17.35 CA$24.24
-46.34%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$3.72 CA$5.20
-36.83%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.80
$2.40 CA$3.36
-59.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$3.76 CA$5.26
-57.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$4.00 CA$5.58
-62.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.12
$3.31 CA$4.62
-61.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.19
$2.07 CA$2.89
-46.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.82
$2.37 CA$3.32
-70.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.37
$2.16 CA$3.02
-77.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$14.47 CA$20.22
-71.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$13.59 CA$18.98
28.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$2.97 CA$4.15
-45.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$4.26 CA$5.95
-34.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Maple Ridge
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.31
$2.05 CA$2.87
-57.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,826
$80.0 CA$112
-32.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.06
$2.74 CA$3.83
-57.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.80
$1.53 CA$2.14
-65.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$27.44 CA$38.34
-91.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.90
$1.28 CA$1.79
13.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.7K
$27.9K CA$39.0K
-24.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.3K
$19.7K CA$27.5K
36.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Maple Ridge
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,098
$198 CA$276
-68.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$66.8 CA$93.3
-81.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$83.6 CA$117
-75.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Maple Ridge
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$48.23 CA$67.4
-22.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$14.23 CA$19.88
-73.51%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$10.63 CA$14.86
-38.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Maple Ridge
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$1,079 CA$1,507
-31.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.3K
$11.0K CA$15.4K
34.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Maple Ridge
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,801
$58.1 CA$81.2
-8.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$40.54 CA$56.6
-39.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,087
$89.3 CA$125
2.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,428
$128 CA$179
-43.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Maple Ridge
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$1,355 CA$1,893
-64.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$1,215 CA$1,698
-74.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$2,343 CA$3,273
-57.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$1,965 CA$2,746
-67.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
$5,796 CA$8,097
-59.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$3,636 CA$5,079
-56.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Maple Ridge
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$3,108 CA$4,342
-81.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.64
20.04%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Maple Ridge: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Maple Ridge
$1.2K 294% $907
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Maple Ridge
$383 63.5% $149
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Maple Ridge
$142 30.8% $33
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Maple Ridge
$348 269% $254
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Maple Ridge
$274 253% $196
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Maple Ridge
$99 60.8% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Maple Ridge
$70 38.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,355 in Maple Ridge. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Maple Ridge are about 5.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $64 in Maple Ridge. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $383 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇨🇦 Maple Ridge
🕒 Local time
17:21 5:21 PM
03:21 3:21 AM
14 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
90,990
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Maple Ridge 11,410 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Maple Ridge

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 Maple Ridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Maple Ridge?
Maple Ridge costs about 170% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Maple Ridge?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,796 in Maple Ridge. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Maple Ridge?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,355 in Maple Ridge.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Maple Ridge?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,079 in Maple Ridge. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Maple Ridge?
Groceries cost about 64% more in Maple Ridge, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Maple Ridge?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,531 in Maple Ridge. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Maple Ridge?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Maple Ridge?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Maple Ridge makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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