Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Moroni

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,412 in Moroni, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Moroni
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Moroni Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Moroni

🇰🇲 Comoros

$1,412

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,412 in Moroni, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Moroni $1,412

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,100 in Moroni, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Moroni $2,100

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,787 in Moroni, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Moroni $2,787

Chiang Mai is about 34% cheaper than Moroni, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Moroni is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$6.00 KMF 2,637

-64.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$18.54 KMF 8,149

0.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$7.82 KMF 3,435

-28.39%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.70 KMF 746

-2.35%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$0.96 KMF 421

-32.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.66 KMF 290

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$1.02 KMF 450

127.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$1.86 KMF 815

97.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$4.19 KMF 1,841

-51.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$0.59 KMF 258

138.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$1.67 KMF 733

-16.77%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$4.90 KMF 2,151

-51.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$7.90 KMF 3,471

109.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$12.51 KMF 5,499

-27.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$5.15 KMF 2,262

-53.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$4.06 KMF 1,783

-61.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$4.36 KMF 1,914

-71.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$3.06 KMF 1,346

-64.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$2.21 KMF 971

-65.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$1.25 KMF 551

-59.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$16.67 KMF 7,325

7.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$0.91 KMF 400

78.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$6.82 KMF 2,996

-58.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$0.58 KMF 257

60.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$32.42 KMF 14.2K

63.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$0.67 KMF 292

76.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.97 KMF 426

-82.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$11.75 KMF 5,162

-84.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$3.03 KMF 1,334

-51.49%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$19.2K KMF 8.4M

9.55%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$17.4K KMF 7.6M

52.41%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$111 KMF 48.7K

-43.56%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$34.45 KMF 15.1K

-66.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$74.6 KMF 32.8K

-72.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$13.48 KMF 5,923

-72.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$6.63 KMF 2,914

-1.81%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$393 KMF 172.9K

84.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$13.9K KMF 6.1M

19.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$60.9 KMF 26.8K

-12.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$59.6 KMF 26.2K

-58.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$109 KMF 47.7K

-16.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$86.3 KMF 37.9K

-16.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$728 KMF 319.8K

-33.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$614 KMF 269.7K

-49.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$1,370 KMF 602.3K

-22.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$1,153 KMF 506.9K

-42.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$1,542 KMF 677.6K

56.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$1,345 KMF 591.2K

19.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$661 KMF 290.7K

-10.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.8

46.58%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Moroni: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Moroni

$614 43.5% 98% $304

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Moroni

$276 * 19.5% 16.6% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Moroni

$142 10.1% 31% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Moroni

$220 15.6% 133% $125

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Moroni

$107 7.6% 39.9% $31

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Moroni

$40 2.9% 31.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Moroni

$13 * 0.9% 73.9% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $728 in Moroni. 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 11% higher in Moroni, 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $19 in Moroni. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $276 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇲 Moroni

🕒 Local time

01:50 1:50 AM

21:50 9:50 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

111,329 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Comorian Franc KMF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 KMF = 2.28 USD

1,000 KMF = 2.03 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KMF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Comorian Franc exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 439 KMF (1,000 KMF = 2.28 USD). 1 EUR = 493 KMF (1,000 KMF = 2.03 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Moroni 6,990 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Moroni

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 Moroni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moroni costs about 51% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $2,118 in Moroni. 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 $481 there versus $728 in Moroni.

Public transport costs about 39% less in Moroni. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Moroni, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,412 in Moroni. 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,412 in Moroni. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moroni makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.