Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Port Hardy

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,750 in Port Hardy, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Port Hardy
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Port Hardy Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Port Hardy

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,750 in Port Hardy, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Port Hardy $1,750

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,845 in Port Hardy, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Port Hardy $2,845

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,939 in Port Hardy, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Port Hardy $3,939

Chiang Mai is about 47% cheaper than Port Hardy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Port Hardy is 29% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$17.77 CA$25.00

-88.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$65.2 CA$91.7

-71.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$10.88 CA$15.31

-48.53%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$3.75 CA$5.27

-55.73%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$2.06 CA$2.90

-68.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$1.67 CA$2.34

-82.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$5.19 CA$7.30

-55.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$5.65 CA$7.94

-35.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$2.03 CA$2.85

-0.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$2.53 CA$3.56

-44.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$3.47 CA$4.88

-59.94%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$3.40 CA$4.78

-30.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$10.20 CA$14.34

61.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$11.65 CA$16.39

-77.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$14.43 CA$20.29

-37.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$3.80 CA$5.35

-36.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.30 CA$1.82

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.73 CA$5.24

-55.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$3.81 CA$5.35

-59.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$2.42 CA$3.40

-48.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$2.22 CA$3.12

-50.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$2.46 CA$3.46

-69.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$1.66 CA$2.33

-69.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$14.29 CA$20.09

-71.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$12.96 CA$18.23

38.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.75 CA$3.86

-41.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$3.17 CA$4.45

-11.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$2.29 CA$3.22

-59.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$62.3 CA$87.6

-15.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$2.94 CA$4.14

-59.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$1.49 CA$2.09

-88.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$23.50 CA$33.05

-92.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$1.22 CA$1.72

20.49%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$27.7K CA$38.9K

-24.01%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$21.5K CA$30.2K

23.44%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$84.2 CA$118

-25.71%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$54.5 CA$76.6

-78.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$70.0 CA$98.5

-71.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$37.20 CA$52.3

1.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$18.29 CA$25.72

-79.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$10.50 CA$14.76

-38.00%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$633 CA$890

14.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$13.5K CA$19.0K

22.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$55.1 CA$77.5

-2.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$38.74 CA$54.5

-35.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$85.8 CA$121

5.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$104 CA$146

-30.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$647 CA$910

-25.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$648 CA$912

-52.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$1,367 CA$1,922

-22.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$1,408 CA$1,980

-53.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$4,409 CA$6,201

-45.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$3,561 CA$5,008

-54.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$3,319 CA$4,667

-82.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.68

19.02%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Port Hardy: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Port Hardy

$648 37.1% 109% $338

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Port Hardy

$353 20.2% 49.3% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Port Hardy

$127 7.3% 17.7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Port Hardy

$209 11.9% 121% $114

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Port Hardy

$272 15.5% 255% $195

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Port Hardy

$82 4.7% 39.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Port Hardy

$58 3.3% 14.3% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $647 in Port Hardy. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Port Hardy are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $65 in Port Hardy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $353 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇦 Port Hardy

🕒 Local time

00:21 12:21 AM

10:21 10:21 AM

14 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

4,100

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Port Hardy 11,050 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Port Hardy

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 Hardy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Hardy costs about 87% 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 $2,625 in Port Hardy. 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 $481 there versus $647 in Port Hardy.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $633 in Port Hardy. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 49% more in Port Hardy, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,750 in Port Hardy. 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,750 in Port Hardy. 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, Port Hardy makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.