Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Saint Helier

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $3,362 in Saint Helier, rent and utilities included – about $29,100 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
163

Cost of Living Index in Saint Helier
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Saint Helier Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Saint Helier

🇯🇪 Jersey

$3,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Saint Helier

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,362 in Saint Helier, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Saint Helier $3,362

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,954 in Saint Helier, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Saint Helier $4,954

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $6,547 in Saint Helier, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Saint Helier $6,547

Chiang Mai is about 72% cheaper than Saint Helier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 30% below the global median, while Saint Helier is 149% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$39.19 JEP 29.43

-94.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$119 JEP 89.3

-83.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$10.44 JEP 7.84

-46.46%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$4.85 JEP 3.64

-64.54%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$3.35 JEP 2.51

-80.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$2.55 JEP 1.91

-87.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$7.77 JEP 5.84

-69.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$6.35 JEP 4.77

-38.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$2.21 JEP 1.66

-7.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$2.70 JEP 2.03

-48.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$3.64 JEP 2.73

-64.84%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$6.38 JEP 4.79

-64.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$7.25 JEP 5.44

133.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$11.69 JEP 8.78

-76.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$18.34 JEP 13.77

-48.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$4.26 JEP 3.20

-43.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$3.41 JEP 2.56

-70.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$4.07 JEP 3.05

-60.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$4.36 JEP 3.28

-65.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$3.12 JEP 2.35

-58.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$3.16 JEP 2.37

-64.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.88 JEP 1.41

-61.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$2.44 JEP 1.84

-78.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$19.79 JEP 14.87

-78.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$10.74 JEP 8.07

65.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$4.75 JEP 3.57

-65.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$7.86 JEP 5.91

-63.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$3.36 JEP 2.53

-74.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$69.4 JEP 52.1

-22.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$5.29 JEP 3.97

-77.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$2.51 JEP 1.88

-77.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$53.2 JEP 39.98

-95.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$2.05 JEP 1.54

-29.27%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$26.9K JEP 20.2K

-23.97%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$36.2K JEP 27.2K

-26.71%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$315 JEP 236

-80.19%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$44.73 JEP 33.59

-72.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$72.8 JEP 54.7

-72.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$75.9 JEP 57.0

-50.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$28.43 JEP 21.35

-86.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$19.51 JEP 14.65

-65.61%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$2,670 JEP 2,006

-70.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$11.8K JEP 8,868

25.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$103 JEP 77.5

-48.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$73.7 JEP 55.3

-66.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$117 JEP 88.1

-21.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$209 JEP 157

-64.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$1,846 JEP 1,386

-74.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$1,592 JEP 1,195

-80.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$3,297 JEP 2,476

-72.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$2,549 JEP 1,914

-78.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$11.4K JEP 8,558

-83.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$10.4K JEP 7,806

-86.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$4,609 JEP 3,461

-87.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.08

36.52%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Saint Helier: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Saint Helier

$1.6K 47.4% 423% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Saint Helier

$418 12.4% 75.5% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Saint Helier

$226 6.7% 107% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Saint Helier

$432 12.9% 357% $338

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Saint Helier

$478 14.2% 505% $399

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Saint Helier

$101 3% 64.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Saint Helier

$115 3.4% 124% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $1,846 in Saint Helier. 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 674% higher in Saint Helier, 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 $119 in Saint Helier. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $418 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇯🇪 Saint Helier

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

01:20 1:20 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

32,522 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Jersey Pound JEP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 JEP = 1.33 USD

1 JEP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JEP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Jersey Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.751 JEP (1 JEP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.844 JEP (1 JEP = 1.18 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Saint Helier 9,210 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Saint Helier

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 Helier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Helier costs about 258% 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $5,043 in Saint Helier. 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 $2,670 in Saint Helier. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 75% more in Saint Helier, 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 Saint Helier at $3,362. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Helier it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $3,362 in Saint Helier. 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, Saint Helier makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.