Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Markham

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,410 in Markham, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Markham
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Markham Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Markham

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,410

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,410 in Markham, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Markham $2,410

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,495 in Markham, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Markham $3,495

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,580 in Markham, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Markham $4,580

Chiang Mai is about 61% cheaper than Markham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Markham is 77% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$18.09 CA$25.39

-87.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$54.2 CA$76.1

-64.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$10.73 CA$15.06

-48.28%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.76 CA$5.28

-55.59%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.78 CA$2.50

-64.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.23 CA$1.73

-74.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.64 CA$5.11

-35.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$5.72 CA$8.03

-36.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.01 CA$2.83

-2.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$2.30 CA$3.23

-37.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.92 CA$2.69

-30.73%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.16 CA$4.44

-27.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$11.99 CA$16.82

-76.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.16 CA$10.05

30.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.75 CA$5.27

-37.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.30 CA$1.83

-25.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.36 CA$3.32

-32.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$3.31 CA$4.65

-54.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.01 CA$2.82

-36.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.99 CA$2.79

-44.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$2.79 CA$3.91

-74.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.58 CA$2.21

-68.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$13.44 CA$18.86

-69.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$14.79 CA$20.76

18.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.50 CA$3.51

-35.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.15 CA$4.42

-11.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$3.10 CA$4.36

-71.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$101 CA$142

-46.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$3.34 CA$4.69

-65.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$18.58 CA$26.07

-86.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.20 CA$1.68

20.83%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$28.5K CA$40.0K

-26.15%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$21.6K CA$30.3K

24.62%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$130 CA$182

-52.15%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$27.48 CA$38.57

-55.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$45.49 CA$63.8

-55.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$38.54 CA$54.1

-3.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$21.40 CA$30.03

-82.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$10.20 CA$14.32

-36.37%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$526 CA$738

39.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$27.9K CA$39.1K

-47.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$43.18 CA$60.6

23.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$37.46 CA$52.6

-34.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$93.7 CA$132

-2.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$107 CA$151

-33.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,600 CA$2,246

-69.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,354 CA$1,901

-77.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$2,679 CA$3,760

-62.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$2,237 CA$3,139

-71.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$6,458 CA$9,063

-63.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$5,229 CA$7,338

-69.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$3,216 CA$4,513

-81.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.56

22.15%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Markham: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Markham

$1.4K 56.2% 338% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Markham

$286 * 11.9% 22% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Markham

$127 5.3% 16.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Markham

$203 8.4% 115% $108

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Markham

$264 10.9% 240% $186

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Markham

$117 * 4.9% 90.8% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Markham

$59 2.5% 17.2% $8.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,600 in Markham. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Markham are about 5.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $54 in Markham. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $286 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇦 Markham

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

12:52 12:52 PM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

338,503

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Markham 13,050 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Markham

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 Markham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Markham costs about 158% 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 $3,615 in Markham. 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 $1,600 in Markham.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $526 in Markham. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Markham, 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 $2,410 in Markham. 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 $2,410 in Markham. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Markham makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.