Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Roseau

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,259 in Roseau, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. The total is higher in Roseau despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Roseau
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Roseau Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Roseau

🇩🇲 Dominica

$1,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,259 in Roseau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Roseau $1,259

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,123 in Roseau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Roseau $2,123

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,988 in Roseau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Roseau $2,988

Chiang Mai is about 26% cheaper than Roseau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Roseau are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Roseau 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$7.45 EC$20.11

-69.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$56.2 EC$152

-65.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$6.62 EC$17.89

-15.26%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$4.19 EC$11.31

-60.38%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$2.41 EC$6.50

-70.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$2.17 EC$5.86

-85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.83 EC$4.93

31.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.66 EC$7.19

39.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$3.27 EC$8.82

-40.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$2.13 EC$5.76

-33.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.22 EC$3.29

7.38%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$5.44 EC$14.69

-59.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$2.42 EC$6.54

588.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$11.07 EC$29.90

-75.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$13.03 EC$35.19

-30.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$6.58 EC$17.76

-63.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$2.44 EC$6.58

-57.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$4.57 EC$12.34

-64.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$5.07 EC$13.68

-70.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$3.52 EC$9.52

-63.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$3.04 EC$8.21

-63.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$2.11 EC$5.70

-65.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$2.72 EC$7.34

-80.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$7.46 EC$20.15

-42.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$10.91 EC$29.44

64.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$2.63 EC$7.10

-39.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.99 EC$8.08

-5.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.88 EC$5.08

-54.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$53.4 EC$144

-0.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$5.39 EC$14.54

-77.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$2.93 EC$7.90

-80.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$10.09 EC$27.25

-76.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.43 EC$3.87

0.70%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$35.6K EC$96.0K

-41.70%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$29.6K EC$80.0K

-9.57%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$143 EC$386

-56.39%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$44.39 EC$120

-72.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$70.4 EC$190

-71.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$45.93 EC$124

-19.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$23.10 EC$62.4

-83.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$8.11 EC$21.89

-19.85%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$131 EC$353

506.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$4,365 EC$11.8K

239.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$55.7 EC$150

-3.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$36.72 EC$99.1

-32.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$74.7 EC$202

21.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$91.5 EC$247

-22.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$288 EC$778

57.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$207 EC$558

44.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$882 EC$2,381

3.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$645 EC$1,741

-14.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$123 EC$333

1466.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$55.5 EC$150

2504.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$473 EC$1,277

24.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.6

-26.71%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Roseau: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Roseau

$207 16.4% 30.6% $91

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Roseau

$372 29.6% 58% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Roseau

$116 9.3% 7.6% $8.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Roseau

$258 20.5% 173% $163

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Roseau

$163 12.9% 107% $84

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Roseau

$81 6.4% 33.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Roseau

$62 4.9% 24.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $288 in Roseau. 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 25% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $56.0 in Roseau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $372 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇩🇲 Roseau

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

10:24 10:24 AM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

15,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.329 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.04 XCD (1 XCD = 0.329 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Roseau 15,660 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Roseau

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 Roseau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roseau costs about 36% 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 $1,888 in Roseau. 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 $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $131 in Roseau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Roseau, 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 $925, than in Roseau at $1,259. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Roseau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,259 in Roseau. 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, Roseau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.