Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Port Shepstone Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Port Shepstone

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $947 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,047 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,411 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,638 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,874 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,228 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 10% cheaper than Port Shepstone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Port Shepstone are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Port Shepstone 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.6

$8.23 R 132

-74.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$40.09 R 641

-51.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$5.86 R 93.7

-3.58%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.4

$2.79 R 44.60

-35.13%

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

$0.71 ฿23.45

$1.14 R 18.28

-37.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.89 R 14.19

-64.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.6

$2.51 R 40.22

-10.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.80 R 44.75

29.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$0.96 R 15.31

104.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.39

$0.68 R 10.92

120.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.93

$1.22 R 19.55

9.84%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.5

$1.47 R 23.46

53.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿535

$7.35 R 118

121.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$3.65 R 58.4

-19.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

$7.48 R 120

32.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.6

$1.23 R 19.65

108.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.73

$0.77 R 12.37

37.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$0.61 R 9.70

163.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.97

$1.60 R 25.51

-5.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.77

$0.61 R 9.68

108.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.06

$1.49 R 23.79

-28.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.68

$0.98 R 15.65

-26.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.60 R 9.59

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$3.72 R 59.5

12.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$4.89 R 78.2

265.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$1.51 R 24.12

11.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.3

$2.00 R 32.05

42.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.43

$1.58 R 25.21

-41.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,771

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.59

$0.45 R 7.23

173.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.78 R 12.41

-25.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$7.96 R 127

-69.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.43

$1.38 R 22.12

2.17%

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

$21.4K ฿705.1K

$37.5K R 599.1K

-42.76%

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

$27.3K ฿898.7K

$33.3K R 531.9K

-17.81%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$123 R 1,966

-48.21%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$18.90 R 302

-32.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$37.89 R 606

-46.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$33.56 R 537

15.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿222

$6.88 R 110

-2.03%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$342 R 5,467

127.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.4K

$7,371 R 117.9K

98.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$53.1 R 849

2.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿837

$33.29 R 532

-23.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,102

$102 R 1,636

-7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,415

$91.4 R 1,462

-19.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$399 R 6,382

22.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,512

$384 R 6,136

-24.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$750 R 12.0K

19.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$761 R 12.2K

-32.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$883 R 14.1K

121.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.6K

$653 R 10.5K

126.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

$3,063 R 49.0K

-80.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.66

-52.23%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Port Shepstone: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $399 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 409% 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 $40.00 in Port Shepstone. Groceries tell a different story – $240 in Chiang Mai vs $148 in Port Shepstone – so Port Shepstone wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 11% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,421 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,571 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 $40.00 in Port Shepstone. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 62% 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 $947, than in Port Shepstone at $1,047. 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 $947 versus $1,047 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.