Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nadi

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $906 a month against $1,368 in Nadi, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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 Nadi
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Nadi Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Nadi

🇫🇯 Fiji

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,368 in Nadi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $906
Nadi $1,368

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,030 in Nadi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Nadi $2,030

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,691 in Nadi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Nadi $2,691

Chiang Mai is about 34% cheaper than Nadi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Nadi is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$9.15 FJD 20.49

-76.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿652

$37.13 FJD 83.1

-47.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿184

$8.77 FJD 19.63

-37.63%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.7

$4.39 FJD 9.83

-61.73%

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

$0.66 ฿22.19

$1.44 FJD 3.23

-54.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.56

$1.27 FJD 2.84

-73.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.3

$2.60 FJD 5.82

-6.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿126

$4.41 FJD 9.88

-15.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿69.2

$1.40 FJD 3.13

47.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.98

$1.09 FJD 2.43

33.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.27

$1.30 FJD 2.90

3.85%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.3

$2.98 FJD 6.67

-23.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿548

$12.30 FJD 27.54

32.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.7

$13.51 FJD 30.25

-80.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿309

$15.65 FJD 35.03

-41.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.5

$3.00 FJD 6.71

-20.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.80

$2.84 FJD 6.37

-63.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.68 FJD 8.25

-56.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.57

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.77

$2.03 FJD 4.55

-35.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.45

$1.95 FJD 4.36

-43.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.65

$1.14 FJD 2.55

-38.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.06

$0.97 FJD 2.17

-47.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿139

$9.10 FJD 20.38

-54.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿598

$9.97 FJD 22.31

78.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.9

$2.67 FJD 5.98

-38.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.4

$3.37 FJD 7.55

-14.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.88

$0.70 FJD 1.57

22.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,787

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.99

$1.13 FJD 2.54

7.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.89

$0.42 FJD 0.94

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.8

$4.83 FJD 10.82

-52.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.27 FJD 2.83

18.11%

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

$20.9K ฿701.2K

$24.6K FJD 55.0K

-15.05%

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

$26.7K ฿898.8K

$21.9K FJD 48.9K

22.30%

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

$61.3 ฿2,059

$66.9 FJD 150

-8.44%

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

$12.50 ฿420

$17.84 FJD 39.93

-29.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿685

$22.80 FJD 51.1

-10.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,275

$37.41 FJD 83.8

1.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿222

$5.38 FJD 12.04

22.68%

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

$774 ฿26.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿485.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,842

$28.44 FJD 63.7

92.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿849

$44.49 FJD 99.6

-43.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,045

$58.3 FJD 130

55.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,463

$66.7 FJD 149

9.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$1,129 FJD 2,527

-59.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,877

$646 FJD 1,447

-54.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.9K

$1,697 FJD 3,800

-45.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.6K

$1,006 FJD 2,251

-45.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.5K

$693 FJD 1,551

176.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.6K

$523 FJD 1,171

176.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.9K

$821 FJD 1,838

-27.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.25

-23.17%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nadi: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Nadi

$646 46.5% 120% $352

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Nadi

$306 * 22.1% 29.8% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Nadi

$89 6.4% 18.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Nadi

$108 7.8% 14.3% $13

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Nadi

$185 13.3% 139% $108

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Nadi

$6 * 0.4% 90.1% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Nadi

$48 3.5% 5.8% $3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Chiang Mai versus $1,129 in Nadi. 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 39% higher in Nadi, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $37.00 in Nadi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $306 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇫🇯 Nadi

🕒 Local time

17:33 5:33 PM

22:33 10:33 PM

5 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

50,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.399 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.51 FJD (1 FJD = 0.399 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Nadi 9,480 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Nadi

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 Nadi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nadi costs about 51% 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 $1,359 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,053 in Nadi. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $906 in Chiang Mai and $1,368 in Nadi. That's a gap of about 51%.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Nadi, 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 Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Nadi at $1,368. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nadi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $906 versus $1,368 in Nadi. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nadi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.