Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nagua

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagua: $643 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Nagua

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $643 in Nagua, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Nagua $643

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,035 in Nagua, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Nagua $1,035

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,427 in Nagua, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Nagua $1,427

Chiang Mai costs about 45% more than Nagua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Nagua are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Nagua 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$7.94 DOP 479

-71.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$41.57 DOP 2,509

-54.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$7.07 DOP 426

-21.50%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.80 DOP 109

-7.22%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.66 DOP 39.85

-3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.40 DOP 24.17

-22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.51 DOP 152

-5.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.05 DOP 244

-9.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.15 DOP 69.3

69.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.70 DOP 102

-15.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.47 DOP 88.4

-9.52%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.47 DOP 89.0

55.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$6.08 DOP 367

170.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.53 DOP 213

-21.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$4.76 DOP 287

95.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.69 DOP 223

-36.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.42 DOP 85.9

-31.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.33 DOP 201

-51.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.22 DOP 134

-32.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$3.51 DOP 212

-63.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$2.93 DOP 177

-62.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.86 DOP 51.7

-17.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$1.57 DOP 94.9

-68.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.66 DOP 281

-11.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$16.20 DOP 978

8.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.86 DOP 173

-43.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.46 DOP 209

-19.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$2.52 DOP 152

-53.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$3.35 DOP 202

-84.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.44 DOP 87.0

0.69%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$14.8K DOP 894.4K

42.09%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$25.3K DOP 1.5M

6.42%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$94.5 DOP 5,700

-34.18%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$26.78 DOP 1,616

-54.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$38.59 DOP 2,329

-47.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.90 DOP 296

32.45%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$146 DOP 8,832

403.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$5,401 DOP 326.0K

173.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$25.67 DOP 1,549

107.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$44.50 DOP 2,686

-44.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$62.3 DOP 3,760

46.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$64.9 DOP 3,915

10.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nagua: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Nagua

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Nagua

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Nagua

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Nagua

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Nagua

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Nagua

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Nagua

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $42 in Nagua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇩🇴 Nagua

🕒 Local time

09:48 9:48 AM

22:48 10:48 PM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

79,420

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 DOP = 1.66 USD

100 DOP = 1.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 60.35 DOP (100 DOP = 1.66 USD). 1 EUR = 67.38 DOP (100 DOP = 1.48 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Nagua 15,600 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Nagua

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 Nagua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 45% more than Nagua, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $965 in Nagua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $643 in Nagua. That makes Nagua about 31% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $42 in Nagua. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $643 in Nagua, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $643 in Nagua to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.