Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Moncton

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,049 in Moncton, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Moncton, Canada
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Moncton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,049
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,049 in Moncton, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Moncton $2,049

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,088 in Moncton, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Moncton $3,088

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,126 in Moncton, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Moncton $4,126

Chiang Mai is about 54% cheaper than Moncton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Moncton is 51% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Moncton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$18.45 CA$25.77
-87.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$68.4 CA$95.5
-72.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$10.83 CA$15.13
-48.75%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$3.65 CA$5.11
-54.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.55
$2.05 CA$2.86
-68.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.31
$1.86 CA$2.60
-83.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$4.33 CA$6.05
-45.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$5.54 CA$7.74
-33.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Moncton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$3.05 CA$4.26
-36.07%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.48
$2.74 CA$3.83
-47.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.04
$3.50 CA$4.89
-62.00%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$3.77 CA$5.27
-39.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$13.63 CA$19.04
20.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$15.23 CA$21.28
-81.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$13.55 CA$18.92
-31.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$5.51 CA$7.70
-57.35%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.80
$1.63 CA$2.27
-40.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$4.64 CA$6.48
-65.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$5.86 CA$8.18
-74.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.12
$2.05 CA$2.86
-37.56%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.19
$2.17 CA$3.03
-49.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.82
$2.63 CA$3.67
-73.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.37
$2.20 CA$3.08
-77.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$14.30 CA$19.98
-71.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$14.02 CA$19.59
24.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$3.29 CA$4.59
-51.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$4.01 CA$5.60
-30.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Moncton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.31
$2.20 CA$3.07
-60.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,826
$49.67 CA$69.4
8.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.06
$2.97 CA$4.15
-60.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.80
$1.34 CA$1.87
-60.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$21.59 CA$30.17
-88.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.90
$1.27 CA$1.77
14.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.7K
$27.0K CA$37.8K
-22.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.3K
$20.9K CA$29.3K
28.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Moncton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,098
$125 CA$175
-50.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$41.26 CA$57.6
-70.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$65.7 CA$91.7
-69.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Moncton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$45.49 CA$63.6
-17.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$11.60 CA$16.21
-67.50%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$12.68 CA$17.72
-48.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Moncton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$382 CA$534
92.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.3K
$13.6K CA$19.0K
8.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Moncton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,801
$61.1 CA$85.3
-12.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$35.86 CA$50.1
-31.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,087
$103 CA$144
-11.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,428
$119 CA$167
-39.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Moncton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$1,099 CA$1,535
-56.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$832 CA$1,163
-62.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$1,711 CA$2,391
-41.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$1,361 CA$1,902
-53.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
$2,271 CA$3,173
4.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$2,021 CA$2,824
-21.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Moncton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$2,601 CA$3,634
-77.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.6
21.09%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Moncton: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Moncton
$832 170% $524
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Moncton
$430 83.4% $195
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Moncton
$144 32.4% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Moncton
$232 146% $137
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Moncton
$272 251% $195
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Moncton
$68 11.1% $6.8
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Moncton
$71 40.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,099 in Moncton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Moncton are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $68 in Moncton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $430 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇨🇦 Moncton
🕒 Local time
11:48 11:48 AM
00:48 12:48 AM
11 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
80,000
💱 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 = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 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 Moncton 12,620 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Moncton

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 Moncton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Moncton?
Moncton costs about 119% more than Chiang Mai, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Moncton?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,074 in Moncton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Moncton?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,099 in Moncton.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Moncton?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $382 in Moncton. 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 Moncton?
Groceries cost about 83% more in Moncton, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Moncton?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,049 in Moncton. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiang Mai or Moncton?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,049 in Moncton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Moncton?
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 Moncton?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moncton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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