Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Port Moresby

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,459 in Port Moresby, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,459

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,459 in Port Moresby, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Port Moresby $1,459

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,302 in Port Moresby, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Port Moresby $2,302

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,146 in Port Moresby, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Port Moresby $3,146

Chiang Mai is about 36% cheaper than Port Moresby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Port Moresby is 8% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$7.85 PGK 33.96

-72.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$44.10 PGK 191

-57.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$5.64 PGK 24.39

-0.71%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$2.46 PGK 10.62

-32.52%

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

$0.65 ฿21.70

$0.78 PGK 3.36

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.23

$0.64 PGK 2.77

-53.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$2.93 PGK 12.69

-20.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.62 PGK 15.66

1.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.90 PGK 8.23

6.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.24

$1.51 PGK 6.51

-6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.69

$1.42 PGK 6.13

-2.11%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$3.62 PGK 15.68

-34.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$8.78 PGK 37.95

88.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.6

$5.13 PGK 22.18

-47.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$9.91 PGK 42.87

-8.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.5

$4.36 PGK 18.84

-44.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.93

$3.24 PGK 14.01

-67.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$7.25 PGK 31.37

-77.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$6.37 PGK 27.56

-75.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.52

$2.94 PGK 12.72

-57.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.46

$2.84 PGK 12.29

-61.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.56

$2.27 PGK 9.83

-66.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.25

$1.34 PGK 5.80

-61.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$6.40 PGK 27.67

-35.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$10.90 PGK 47.15

64.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$2.66 PGK 11.49

-39.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.7

$3.47 PGK 15.02

-18.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.35

$0.44 PGK 1.89

111.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,775

$25.01 PGK 108

111.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.48

$4.92 PGK 21.26

-76.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$1.47 PGK 6.34

-88.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$14.30 PGK 61.9

-87.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.41

$1.04 PGK 4.48

41.35%

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

$21.0K ฿705.0K

$50.2K PGK 217.2K

-58.17%

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

$26.5K ฿889.6K

$17.5K PGK 75.9K

51.13%

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

$62.6 ฿2,099

$120 PGK 517

-47.66%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$20.89 PGK 90.4

-44.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$83.4 PGK 361

-75.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,271

$61.2 PGK 264

-38.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$22.28 PGK 96.4

-83.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$8.89 PGK 38.45

-26.77%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$570 PGK 2,465

27.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.1K

$8,351 PGK 36.1K

98.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,796

$35.01 PGK 151

52.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$35.81 PGK 155

-30.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,032

$68.8 PGK 298

31.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,415

$97.9 PGK 423

-26.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$1,505 PGK 6,508

-68.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$553 PGK 2,392

-43.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$2,858 PGK 12.4K

-62.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$1,167 PGK 5,045

-43.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$2,098 PGK 9,072

15.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$3,757 PGK 16.2K

-57.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$430 PGK 1,860

38.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.17

-54.23%

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 Moresby: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Port Moresby

$553 37.9% 78.5% $243

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Port Moresby

$320 21.9% 35.1% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Port Moresby

$107 7.3% 1.3% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Port Moresby

$224 15.4% 137% $129

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Port Moresby

$137 9.4% 78.7% $60

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Port Moresby

$39 2.7% 33.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Port Moresby

$79 5.4% 55.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,505 in Port Moresby. 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 38% 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 $44 in Port Moresby. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $320 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

07:26 7:26 AM

10:26 10:26 AM

3 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

364,145 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 PGK = 0.231 USD

1 PGK = 0.207 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 33.55 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.49 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 4.32 PGK (1 PGK = 0.231 USD). 1 EUR = 4.83 PGK (1 PGK = 0.207 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Port Moresby 6,150 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Port Moresby

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 Moresby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Moresby costs about 56% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $2,188 in Port Moresby. 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 $1,505 in Port Moresby.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $570 in Port Moresby. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Port Moresby, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,459 in Port Moresby. 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 $1,459 in Port Moresby. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.