Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and New Providence

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,187 in New Providence, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Other living expenses 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

New Providence

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$2,187

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in New Providence

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,187 in New Providence, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
New Providence $2,187

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,301 in New Providence, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
New Providence $5,301

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $8,414 in New Providence, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
New Providence $8,414

Chiang Mai is about 57% cheaper than New Providence, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while New Providence is 61% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$76.1 BSD 76.1

-97.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$151 BSD 151

-87.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$5.63 BSD 5.63

-70.34%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.08 BSD 2.08

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$5.13 BSD 5.13

-71.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$5.02 BSD 5.02

-73.51%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$9.84 BSD 9.84

-76.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$20.21 BSD 20.21

-18.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$9.96 BSD 9.96

-72.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$19.88 BSD 19.88

-53.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$4.31 BSD 4.31

-45.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$5.97 BSD 5.97

-83.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$6.80 BSD 6.80

-76.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.91 BSD 3.91

-61.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$4.12 BSD 4.12

-68.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$3.07 BSD 3.07

-64.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$3.08 BSD 3.08

-76.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$3.07 BSD 3.07

-84.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$15.30 BSD 15.30

-72.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$25.49 BSD 25.49

-31.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$3.88 BSD 3.88

-58.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.04 BSD 4.04

-31.19%

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.76 BSD 1.76

-17.61%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

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

$12.17 ฿411

$40.64 BSD 40.64

-70.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$99.7 BSD 99.7

-79.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$74.4 BSD 74.4

-49.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$15.16 BSD 15.16

-57.19%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$1,504 BSD 1,504

-51.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$14.9K BSD 14.9K

-1.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,526 BSD 1,526

-68.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$714 BSD 714

-56.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$4,503 BSD 4,503

-85.93%

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

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for New Providence: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

New Providence

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

New Providence

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

New Providence

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

New Providence

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

New Providence

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

New Providence

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

New Providence

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,526 in New Providence. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $151 in New Providence. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $552 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇸 New Providence

🕒 Local time

07:52 7:52 AM

19:52 7:52 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

296,522

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BSD, 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).

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai New Providence 15,110 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
New Providence

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 New Providence: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Providence costs about 134% 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 $3,281 in New Providence. 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 $1,526 in New Providence.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $151 in New Providence. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 135% more in New Providence, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,187 in New Providence. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.