Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Saint Andrew Parish

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,496 in Saint Andrew Parish, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Saint Andrew Parish
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Saint Andrew Parish Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Saint Andrew Parish

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Saint Andrew Parish

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 Saint Andrew Parish actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,496 in Saint Andrew Parish, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Saint Andrew Parish $1,496

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,422 in Saint Andrew Parish, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Saint Andrew Parish $2,422

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,348 in Saint Andrew Parish, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Saint Andrew Parish $3,348

Chiang Mai is about 37% cheaper than Saint Andrew Parish, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Saint Andrew Parish is 10% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$13.43 JMD 2,120

-83.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$67.2 JMD 10.6K

-71.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.15 JMD 1,287

-31.90%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$5.42 JMD 855

-69.19%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.20 JMD 190

-46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.71 JMD 111

-56.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.24 JMD 354

5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$3.22 JMD 509

13.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$3.38 JMD 533

-42.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$2.60 JMD 411

-44.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.63 JMD 257

-18.40%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$3.51 JMD 554

-35.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$11.52 JMD 1,818

42.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$6.23 JMD 983

-55.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.36 JMD 1,636

-10.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$6.07 JMD 959

-61.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$3.98 JMD 629

-75.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$4.94 JMD 781

-67.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.10 JMD 489

-51.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$3.32 JMD 524

-61.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$2.58 JMD 408

-57.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$1.86 JMD 294

-61.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.96 JMD 151

-48.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$9.27 JMD 1,464

-55.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$11.46 JMD 1,809

52.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$2.54 JMD 401

-36.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$3.08 JMD 487

-9.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.65 JMD 103

33.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$0.97 JMD 154

19.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$3.10 JMD 490

-82.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$6.14 JMD 969

-60.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.30 JMD 206

11.54%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$44.9K JMD 7.1M

-53.13%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$24.9K JMD 3.9M

8.20%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$115 JMD 18.1K

-45.91%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$29.93 JMD 4,725

-59.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$53.3 JMD 8,414

-62.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$60.1 JMD 9,491

-37.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$13.44 JMD 2,122

-51.71%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$254 JMD 40.0K

190.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$8,331 JMD 1.3M

77.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$23.59 JMD 3,725

126.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$31.28 JMD 4,939

-21.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$77.4 JMD 12.2K

18.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$74.8 JMD 11.8K

-3.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$825 JMD 130.2K

-41.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$534 JMD 84.3K

-42.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,680 JMD 265.2K

-40.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$1,109 JMD 175.0K

-42.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$2,675 JMD 422.4K

-11.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$726 JMD 114.7K

-18.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-38.11%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Saint Andrew Parish: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Saint Andrew Parish

$534 35.7% 72.8% $225

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Saint Andrew Parish

$342 22.9% 46.1% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Saint Andrew Parish

$93 6.2% 14.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Saint Andrew Parish

$198 13.3% 110% $104

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Saint Andrew Parish

$222 14.9% 186% $145

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Saint Andrew Parish

$19 * 1.3% 68.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Saint Andrew Parish

$87 5.8% 73% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $825 in Saint Andrew Parish. 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 23% higher in Saint Andrew Parish, 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 in Chiang Mai versus $67 in Saint Andrew Parish. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $342 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇯🇲 Saint Andrew Parish

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

19:16 7:16 PM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

555,995

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.69 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Saint Andrew Parish 15,890 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Saint Andrew Parish

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 Saint Andrew Parish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Andrew Parish costs about 60% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,244 in Saint Andrew Parish. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $825 in Saint Andrew Parish.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $67 in Saint Andrew Parish. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Saint Andrew Parish, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,496 in Saint Andrew Parish. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,496 in Saint Andrew Parish. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint Andrew Parish makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.