Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Niamey

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,328 in Niamey, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Niamey
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Niamey Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Niamey

🇳🇪 Niger

$1,328

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,328 in Niamey, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Niamey $1,328

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,710 in Niamey, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Niamey $1,710

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,092 in Niamey, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Niamey $2,092

Chiang Mai is about 30% cheaper than Niamey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Chiang Mai and Niamey are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Niamey 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$6.26 F CFA 3,666

-64.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$38.28 F CFA 22.4K

-50.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$9.50 F CFA 5,560

-41.58%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$3.15 F CFA 1,842

-46.98%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.40 F CFA 821

-54.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.92 F CFA 538

-66.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.29 F CFA 757

82.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$2.97 F CFA 1,737

23.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.42 F CFA 1,415

-19.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.56 F CFA 327

157.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.68 F CFA 982

-20.83%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.11 F CFA 1,237

8.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$6.13 F CFA 3,591

-54.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.88 F CFA 4,612

18.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$3.32 F CFA 1,945

-29.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.57 F CFA 921

-38.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$2.80 F CFA 1,639

-42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.68 F CFA 986

-10.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.45 F CFA 846

-11.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$0.65 F CFA 381

69.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.87 F CFA 509

-18.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$1.04 F CFA 610

-52.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.53 F CFA 1,482

63.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$13.57 F CFA 7,948

29.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.34 F CFA 787

20.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$3.43 F CFA 2,009

-18.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.33 F CFA 191

163.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$0.44 F CFA 260

163.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.33 F CFA 192

60.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$8.74 F CFA 5,117

-72.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$0.96 F CFA 561

51.04%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$20.7K F CFA 12.1M

1.70%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$24.1K F CFA 14.1M

11.88%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$168 F CFA 98.4K

-63.02%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$17.22 F CFA 10.1K

-29.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$84.7 F CFA 49.6K

-76.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$75.2 F CFA 44.1K

-50.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.06 F CFA 2,965

28.26%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$1,032 F CFA 604.5K

-28.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$4,255 F CFA 2.5M

247.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$67.6 F CFA 39.6K

-21.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$84.1 F CFA 49.2K

-70.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$50.6 F CFA 29.6K

80.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$68.8 F CFA 40.3K

4.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$938 F CFA 549.4K

-48.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$502 F CFA 294.2K

-38.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$799 F CFA 467.7K

25.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$423 F CFA 247.6K

49.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$1,711 F CFA 1.0M

38.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$967 F CFA 566.4K

64.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$385 F CFA 225.5K

53.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-38.11%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Niamey: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Niamey

$502 37.8% 62.6% $194

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Niamey

$207 * 15.6% 11.6% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Niamey

$122 9.2% 12.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Niamey

$270 20.3% 186% $176

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Niamey

$138 10.4% 77.9% $60

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Niamey

$3.4 * 0.3% 94.5% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Niamey

$85 6.4% 69.8% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $938 in Niamey. 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 53% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $38 in Niamey. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $207 in Niamey – so Niamey wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇪 Niamey

🕒 Local time

10:30 10:30 AM

04:30 4:30 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,026,848 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 586 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Niamey 10,230 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Niamey

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 Niamey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Niamey costs about 42% 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 $1,993 in Niamey. 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 $938 in Niamey.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $38 in Niamey. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Niamey – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,328 in Niamey. 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.