Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Port Vila

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $3,148 in Port Vila, rent and utilities included – about $26,500 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
154

Cost of Living Index in Port Vila
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Port Vila Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Port Vila

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,148

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,148 in Port Vila, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Port Vila $3,148

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,290 in Port Vila, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Port Vila $4,290

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,432 in Port Vila, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Port Vila $5,432

Chiang Mai is about 70% cheaper than Port Vila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Chiang Mai sits 30% below the global median, while Port Vila is 133% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$12.57 VUV 1,474

-82.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$55.9 VUV 6,558

-65.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$14.47 VUV 1,697

-61.37%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$3.99 VUV 468

-56.89%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.30 VUV 270

-72.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$2.35 VUV 276

-85.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$5.14 VUV 603

-54.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$7.16 VUV 839

-45.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$2.73 VUV 320

-24.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.97 VUV 231

-28.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$3.63 VUV 426

-64.74%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$6.30 VUV 739

-64.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$17.57 VUV 2,061

-3.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$16.60 VUV 1,947

-83.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$13.68 VUV 1,604

-31.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$7.13 VUV 837

-66.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.15 VUV 252

-53.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$3.86 VUV 453

-58.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$9.44 VUV 1,107

-83.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$9.13 VUV 1,071

-85.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$3.47 VUV 407

-68.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$2.58 VUV 303

-72.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$1.20 VUV 140

-56.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$9.06 VUV 1,063

-52.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$12.51 VUV 1,467

41.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.45 VUV 287

-33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.70 VUV 316

5.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$1.29 VUV 151

-34.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$68.6 VUV 8,052

-21.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$2.57 VUV 302

-54.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.88 VUV 103

-35.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$5.19 VUV 609

-54.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.76 VUV 206

-17.61%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$22.8K VUV 2.7M

-10.35%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$37.9K VUV 4.5M

-30.12%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$636 VUV 74.6K

-90.19%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$22.30 VUV 2,615

-44.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$362 VUV 42.4K

-94.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$67.7 VUV 7,936

-43.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$16.93 VUV 1,986

-77.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$631 VUV 74.0K

26.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$6,973 VUV 818.0K

112.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$41.45 VUV 4,862

28.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$67.0 VUV 7,856

-62.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$86.0 VUV 10.1K

6.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$102 VUV 12.0K

-28.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$1,549 VUV 181.7K

-70.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$1,120 VUV 131.3K

-72.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$3,413 VUV 400.3K

-73.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$1,886 VUV 221.3K

-70.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$5,917 VUV 694.1K

-67.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$2,162 VUV 253.6K

-33.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$678 VUV 79.5K

-12.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.18

-9.87%

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 Vila: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Port Vila

$1.1K 35.6% 268% $815

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Port Vila

$476 15.1% 100% $238

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Port Vila

$134 4.2% 22% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Port Vila

$1K 32.4% 978% $925

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Port Vila

$250 8% 217% $171

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Port Vila

$81 2.6% 31.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Port Vila

$68 * 2.2% 31.8% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $1,549 in Port Vila. 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 14% higher in Port Vila, 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 $56.0 in Port Vila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $476 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇻🇺 Port Vila

🕒 Local time

14:39 2:39 PM

18:39 6:39 PM

4 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

44,039 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 VUV = 8.53 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.58 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VUV, 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).

Vanuatu Vatu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 117 VUV (1,000 VUV = 8.53 USD). 1 EUR = 132 VUV (1,000 VUV = 7.58 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Port Vila 8,590 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Port Vila

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 Vila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Vila costs about 235% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $4,722 in Port Vila. 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 $631 in Port Vila. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 100% more in Port Vila, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Port Vila at $3,148. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Vila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $3,148 in Port Vila. 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 Vila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.