Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Port Shepstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,058 in Port Shepstone, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Port Shepstone outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Port Shepstone
Learn more

Port Shepstone Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Port Shepstone

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,058

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,058 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Port Shepstone $1,058

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,592 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Port Shepstone $1,592

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,126 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Port Shepstone $2,126

Chiang Mai is about 13% cheaper than Port Shepstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Port Shepstone are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Port Shepstone 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$7.68 R 127

-70.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$38.93 R 641

-49.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$6.06 R 99.8

-7.43%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.72 R 44.89

-38.97%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.11 R 18.28

-36.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.85 R 13.98

-63.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.46 R 40.54

-2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.61 R 42.96

42.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.89 R 14.70

119.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.71 R 11.74

98.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.20 R 19.80

9.17%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.50 R 24.68

45.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$7.14 R 118

133.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.63 R 59.8

-23.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$7.22 R 119

26.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.19 R 19.63

100.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.72 R 11.85

43.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.62 R 10.27

162.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.55 R 25.49

-3.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.60 R 9.83

115.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.46 R 24.11

-23.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.92 R 15.18

-21.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.59 R 9.64

-10.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.73 R 61.5

15.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$4.73 R 78.0

279.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.48 R 24.39

6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.95 R 32.05

45.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.72 R 28.37

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.41 R 6.78

195.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.75 R 12.42

-24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$7.83 R 129

-69.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.33 R 21.86

8.27%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$34.9K R 575.0K

-40.60%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$33.1K R 544.9K

-18.97%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$123 R 2,025

-49.30%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$18.38 R 303

-34.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$37.21 R 613

-46.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$31.90 R 526

16.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$9.48 R 156

-60.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$7.50 R 124

-13.33%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$314 R 5,180

152.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$7,567 R 124.7K

95.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$54.0 R 889

-0.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$30.29 R 499

-18.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$100 R 1,653

-9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$84.3 R 1,389

-15.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$426 R 7,013

6.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$418 R 6,887

-28.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$634 R 10.5K

43.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$729 R 12.0K

-23.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$927 R 15.3K

108.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$775 R 12.8K

86.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$3,033 R 50.0K

-80.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.78

-52.72%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Port Shepstone: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Port Shepstone

$418 39.5% 40.4% $120

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Port Shepstone

$145 13.7% 38.5% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Port Shepstone

$121 11.4% 11.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Port Shepstone

$179 16.9% 89.2% $84

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Port Shepstone

$138 13% 75.2% $59

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Port Shepstone

$11 * 1.1% 81.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Port Shepstone

$47 4.4% 6.3% $3.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $426 in Port Shepstone. 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 413% higher in Port Shepstone, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $39.00 in Port Shepstone. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $145 in Port Shepstone – so Port Shepstone wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇿🇦 Port Shepstone

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

14:35 2:35 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

52,793

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Port Shepstone 9,160 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Port Shepstone

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 Shepstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Shepstone costs about 14% 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,587 in Port Shepstone. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $39.00 in Port Shepstone. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 63% cheaper in Port Shepstone – 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 $925, than in Port Shepstone at $1,058. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Shepstone it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,058 in Port Shepstone. 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 Shepstone makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.