Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Napier

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,251 in Napier, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Napier
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Napier Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Napier

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,251 in Napier, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Napier $2,251

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,239 in Napier, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Napier $3,239

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,227 in Napier, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Napier $4,227

Chiang Mai is about 58% cheaper than Napier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Napier is 65% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$18.60 NZ$33.07

-87.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$95.3 NZ$169

-80.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$9.50 NZ$16.89

-41.58%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.45 NZ$6.14

-51.59%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$2.27 NZ$4.03

-71.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$2.32 NZ$4.12

-86.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$6.67 NZ$11.86

-64.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$5.74 NZ$10.21

-36.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.63 NZ$2.90

19.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.51 NZ$2.68

-4.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.48 NZ$2.64

-10.14%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$5.65 NZ$10.04

-59.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$7.52 NZ$13.36

118.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$8.58 NZ$15.25

-67.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$12.76 NZ$22.68

-27.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.29 NZ$4.08

2.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.67 NZ$2.97

-41.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.13 NZ$5.56

-48.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.88 NZ$5.12

-47.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.79 NZ$3.18

-28.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$2.59 NZ$4.60

-57.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.86 NZ$3.31

-61.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$1.18 NZ$2.10

-58.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$20.68 NZ$36.75

-79.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$8.47 NZ$15.06

106.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.55 NZ$4.54

-36.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.44 NZ$4.34

13.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$1.97 NZ$3.49

-55.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$104 NZ$185

-47.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$2.30 NZ$4.09

-49.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.84 NZ$3.28

-71.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$30.23 NZ$53.7

-91.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.54 NZ$2.74

-5.84%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$25.9K NZ$46.0K

-18.66%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$23.9K NZ$42.4K

12.93%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$185 NZ$329

-66.41%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$35.28 NZ$62.7

-65.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$48.81 NZ$86.8

-58.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$34.62 NZ$61.5

7.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$10.85 NZ$19.29

-65.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$8.68 NZ$15.43

-25.23%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$690 NZ$1,227

6.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$16.8K NZ$29.9K

-12.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$107 NZ$190

-50.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$35.09 NZ$62.4

-29.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$104 NZ$185

-12.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$121 NZ$216

-40.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,193 NZ$2,121

-59.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,080 NZ$1,919

-71.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,707 NZ$3,035

-41.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,491 NZ$2,651

-57.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$4,873 NZ$8,662

-51.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$3,334 NZ$5,926

-52.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$3,110 NZ$5,528

-81.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.54

-14.83%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Napier: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Napier

$1.1K 48% 250% $771

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Napier

$279 12.4% 19% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Napier

$166 7.4% 52.4% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Napier

$269 12% 185% $175

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Napier

$282 12.5% 264% $204

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Napier

$123 5.5% 101% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Napier

$52 2.3% 3.4% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,193 in Napier. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Napier are about 5.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $95 in Napier. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $279 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇿 Napier

🕒 Local time

18:10 6:10 PM

00:10 12:10 AM

6 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

65,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, 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 = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Napier 10,340 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Napier

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 Napier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Napier costs about 141% 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 $3,376 in Napier. 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 $1,193 in Napier.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $690 in Napier. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Napier, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,251 in Napier. 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 $2,251 in Napier. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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