Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Portsmouth, Dominica

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Portsmouth: $936 and $921 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Portsmouth

🇩🇲 Dominica

$921

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Portsmouth

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $921 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Portsmouth $921

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,637 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Portsmouth $1,637

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,353 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Portsmouth $2,353

Chiang Mai and Portsmouth have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Portsmouth are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Portsmouth 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$5.42 EC$14.64

-58.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$54.6 EC$147

-65.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.48 EC$17.51

-14.35%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.56 EC$6.90

-34.77%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$2.21 EC$5.96

-71.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$1.83 EC$4.94

-83.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.56 EC$6.91

-7.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.73 EC$10.06

-1.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.70 EC$7.30

-27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$2.25 EC$6.08

-36.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$2.05 EC$5.54

-35.12%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$6.71 EC$18.12

-66.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$2.63 EC$7.10

525.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$5.57 EC$15.04

-50.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$7.43 EC$20.06

-68.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$2.61 EC$7.05

-62.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$4.10 EC$11.07

-60.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.01 EC$10.83

-62.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$2.78 EC$7.50

-53.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$2.80 EC$7.57

-60.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$1.83 EC$4.95

-61.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$1.81 EC$4.88

-72.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$10.91 EC$29.47

60.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.89 EC$5.10

-14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.65 EC$7.17

4.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$0.77 EC$2.08

12.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$3.78 EC$10.22

-69.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$3.63 EC$9.80

-85.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

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

$12.17 ฿410

$41.40 EC$112

-70.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$64.8 EC$175

-68.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$36.86 EC$99.5

1.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$11.22 EC$30.31

-42.16%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$55.6 EC$150

-4.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$24.30 EC$65.6

1.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$56.1 EC$152

62.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$67.7 EC$183

6.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$254 EC$686

89.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$220 EC$593

40.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$656 EC$1,772

53.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$637 EC$1,720

-0.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$641 EC$1,731

-8.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Portsmouth

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Portsmouth

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Portsmouth

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Portsmouth

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Portsmouth

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Portsmouth

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Portsmouth

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $254 in Portsmouth. 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 9% higher in Portsmouth. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $55 in Portsmouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $289 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇩🇲 Portsmouth

🕒 Local time

20:25 8:25 PM

09:25 9:25 AM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,633

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.332 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.332 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Portsmouth 15,640 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Portsmouth

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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,381 in Portsmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portsmouth, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $55 in Portsmouth. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $921 in Portsmouth to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.