Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Petite Riviere

For one person, living is cheaper in Petite Riviere: $623 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Petite Riviere, Mauritius
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Petite Riviere
🇲🇺 Mauritius
$623
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Petite Riviere

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $623 in Petite Riviere, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Petite Riviere $623

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,045 in Petite Riviere, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Petite Riviere $1,045

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,468 in Petite Riviere, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Petite Riviere $1,468

Chiang Mai costs about 50% more than Petite Riviere, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Petite Riviere are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Petite Riviere 54% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Petite Riviere
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.5
$5.74 MUR 270
-60.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿640
$38.73 MUR 1,825
-50.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$7.49 MUR 353
-25.90%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.4
$2.57 MUR 121
-35.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.51
$1.19 MUR 56.1
-46.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.29
$0.63 MUR 29.64
-50.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.5
$2.67 MUR 126
-11.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿123
$4.91 MUR 231
-25.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Petite Riviere
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.7
$1.56 MUR 73.3
25.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.41
$0.74 MUR 34.73
94.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿44.97
$1.14 MUR 53.8
16.67%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.0
$2.57 MUR 121
-11.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿554
$5.22 MUR 246
215.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.8
$6.21 MUR 293
-55.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$11.36 MUR 535
-18.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.3
$2.88 MUR 136
-18.40%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.75
$2.61 MUR 123
-62.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.8
$1.39 MUR 65.3
15.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$3.00 MUR 141
-50.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.06
$0.94 MUR 44.44
36.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.14
$1.01 MUR 47.38
8.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.79
$0.71 MUR 33.43
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.34
$0.90 MUR 42.33
-45.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$6.40 MUR 302
-35.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿590
$8.53 MUR 402
105.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.4
$1.70 MUR 80.3
-5.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿93.8
$2.31 MUR 109
20.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Petite Riviere
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.27
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,823
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.00
$4.35 MUR 205
-73.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.78
$3.11 MUR 147
-82.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.6
$20.83 MUR 981
-88.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.82
$1.35 MUR 63.7
7.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿709.7K
$35.9K MUR 1.7M
-41.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿907.9K
$30.6K MUR 1.4M
-11.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Petite Riviere
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,095
$44.78 MUR 2,110
38.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿410
$10.66 MUR 502
14.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿678
$28.85 MUR 1,359
-30.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Petite Riviere
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,257
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$6.42 MUR 302
1.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Petite Riviere
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$127 MUR 5,964
481.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿497.6K
$7,624 MUR 359.2K
93.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Petite Riviere
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,799
$79.0 MUR 3,724
-32.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿830
$73.3 MUR 3,453
-66.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,083
$122 MUR 5,748
-25.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,424
$76.8 MUR 3,617
-6.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Petite Riviere
Difference
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 ฿21.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Petite Riviere
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.67
-16.49%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Petite Riviere: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Petite Riviere
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Petite Riviere
$218 7% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Petite Riviere
$158 45.4% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Petite Riviere
$84 10.8% $10
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Petite Riviere
$130 67.2% $52
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Petite Riviere
$20 * 67.6% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Petite Riviere
$13 * 74.5% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $39 in Petite Riviere. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $218 in Petite Riviere – so Petite Riviere wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇲🇺 Petite Riviere
🕒 Local time
10:30 10:30 AM
07:30 7:30 AM
3 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
2,500
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 47.12 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.81 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Petite Riviere 6,270 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Petite Riviere

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 Petite Riviere: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Petite Riviere?
Chiang Mai costs about 50% more than Petite Riviere, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Petite Riviere?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $934 in Petite Riviere. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do dining costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Petite Riviere?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $39 in Petite Riviere. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Petite Riviere?
Groceries cost about 8% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Petite Riviere?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Petite Riviere, where all-in costs run around $623, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Petite Riviere it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiang Mai or Petite Riviere?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $623 in Petite Riviere to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Petite Riviere?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

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