Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Port Elizabeth

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,216 in Port Elizabeth, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,216

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Port Elizabeth

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,216 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Port Elizabeth $1,216

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,835 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Port Elizabeth $1,835

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,453 in Port Elizabeth, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Port Elizabeth $2,453

Chiang Mai is about 23% cheaper than Port Elizabeth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Port Elizabeth are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Port Elizabeth 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$11.00 R 181

-79.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$41.67 R 687

-53.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$5.84 R 96.2

-4.28%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.17 R 35.81

-20.74%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.03 R 16.91

-37.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.76 R 12.59

-56.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.69 R 44.37

-12.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$3.24 R 53.3

20.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.12 R 18.39

83.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.04 R 17.20

34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.51 R 24.94

-15.23%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.81 R 46.35

-19.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.58 R 141

97.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$5.33 R 87.7

-48.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$8.36 R 138

11.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.19 R 36.04

9.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.49 R 24.58

-32.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.70 R 28.04

-5.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.81 R 29.74

-16.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.66 R 27.41

-22.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.45 R 23.83

-23.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.26 R 20.72

-42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.99 R 16.39

-47.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.26 R 53.8

32.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$4.82 R 79.4

267.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.27 R 20.99

28.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.82 R 30.00

56.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$1.10 R 18.17

-22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$36.67 R 604

46.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$2.04 R 33.68

-42.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.50 R 8.25

14.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$8.45 R 139

-71.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.48 R 24.38

-2.03%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$35.8K R 589.5K

-42.78%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$34.1K R 562.5K

-22.34%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$125 R 2,058

-50.10%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$34.90 R 575

-64.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$44.55 R 734

-55.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$32.20 R 530

17.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$23.27 R 383

-83.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$10.74 R 177

-37.52%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$177 R 2,924

349.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$6,046 R 99.6K

145.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$72.4 R 1,193

-26.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$38.28 R 631

-34.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$110 R 1,806

-16.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$95.6 R 1,574

-23.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$598 R 9,859

-22.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$415 R 6,838

-26.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$808 R 13.3K

13.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$682 R 11.2K

-19.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$764 R 12.6K

150.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$522 R 8,604

175.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$1,625 R 26.8K

-63.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.94

-53.35%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Port Elizabeth

$415 34.1% 36.2% $110

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Port Elizabeth

$197 16.2% 17.4% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Port Elizabeth

$142 11.7% 29.8% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Port Elizabeth

$204 16.8% 116% $110

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Port Elizabeth

$159 13.1% 101% $80

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Port Elizabeth

$46 3.8% 25.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Port Elizabeth

$54 4.4% 4.6% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $598 in Port Elizabeth. 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 173% higher in Port Elizabeth, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $42.00 in Port Elizabeth. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $197 in Port Elizabeth – so Port Elizabeth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

14:35 2:35 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,050,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Port Elizabeth 9,720 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Port Elizabeth

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 Port Elizabeth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Elizabeth costs about 30% 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,824 in Port Elizabeth. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $177 in Port Elizabeth. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Port Elizabeth – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Port Elizabeth at $1,216. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Elizabeth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,216 in Port Elizabeth. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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