Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Port Louis

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Port Louis: $938 and $951 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Port Louis
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Port Louis Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Port Louis

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $951 in Port Louis, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Port Louis $951

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,568 in Port Louis, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Port Louis $1,568

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,184 in Port Louis, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Port Louis $2,184

Chiang Mai is about 1% cheaper than Port Louis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$5.83 MUR 275

-61.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$37.47 MUR 1,764

-48.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$7.53 MUR 355

-25.76%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.64 MUR 124

-34.85%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.17 MUR 55.2

-45.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.68 MUR 32.12

-51.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.57 MUR 121

-8.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$4.65 MUR 219

-16.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.55 MUR 73.2

32.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.77 MUR 36.27

81.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.15 MUR 54.1

11.30%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.66 MUR 125

-15.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$5.21 MUR 245

225.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$6.45 MUR 304

-57.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$11.01 MUR 518

-14.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.71 MUR 127

-11.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.57 MUR 121

-60.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.44 MUR 67.8

11.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.91 MUR 137

-47.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.93 MUR 43.74

37.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.95 MUR 44.65

16.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.68 MUR 32.05

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.89 MUR 41.92

-41.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$6.29 MUR 296

-31.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$8.28 MUR 390

114.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.61 MUR 75.7

1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.26 MUR 106

26.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$1.02 MUR 47.95

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$31.98 MUR 1,506

68.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$4.29 MUR 202

-72.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$3.24 MUR 152

-82.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$21.17 MUR 997

-88.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.38 MUR 65.2

5.07%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

-44.02%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$31.2K MUR 1.5M

-14.94%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$44.04 MUR 2,073

41.53%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$10.43 MUR 491

17.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$28.44 MUR 1,339

-29.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$26.34 MUR 1,240

43.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$3.91 MUR 184

-3.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$6.29 MUR 296

6.68%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$126 MUR 5,941

531.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$7,555 MUR 355.7K

96.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$76.4 MUR 3,594

-30.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$73.7 MUR 3,467

-65.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$121 MUR 5,674

-23.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$77.9 MUR 3,667

-5.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$480 MUR 22.6K

-3.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$269 MUR 12.7K

13.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$761 MUR 35.8K

20.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$598 MUR 28.2K

-7.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$4,117 MUR 193.8K

-53.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,056 MUR 49.7K

36.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$695 MUR 32.7K

-14.41%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Port Louis: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Port Louis

$269 28.3% 11.5% $35

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Port Louis

$216 22.7% 9.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Port Louis

$157 16.5% 43.2% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Port Louis

$83 8.7% 12.3% $12

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Port Louis

$130 13.7% 65.1% $51

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Port Louis

$57 5.9% 7.8% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Port Louis

$39 4.1% 24.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $480 in Port Louis. 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 17% higher in Port Louis, 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 $37.00 in Port Louis. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $216 in Port Louis – so Port Louis wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇺 Port Louis

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

09:03 9:03 AM

3 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

147,688 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, 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).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Port Louis 6,260 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Port Louis

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 Louis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Louis costs about 1% 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 $1,426 in Port Louis. 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 $126 in Port Louis. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Port Louis – 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 Louis at $951. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Louis it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $951 in Port Louis. 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 Louis makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.