Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Saint-Leu

Name: Saint-Leu
Address: Saint-Leu, RE

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,502 in Saint-Leu, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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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

$935

/mo nomad

Saint-Leu

🇷🇪 Reunion

$1,502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Saint-Leu

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,502 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Saint-Leu $1,502

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,353 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Saint-Leu $2,353

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,204 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Saint-Leu $3,204

Chiang Mai is about 38% cheaper than Saint-Leu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Saint-Leu is 11% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$27.82 €24.76

-92.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$88.9 €79.1

-79.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.87 €2.55

-42.16%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$1.10 €0.98

-72.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$7.60 €6.77

-69.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$5.49 €4.89

-33.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.15 €1.02

75.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$1.24 €1.10

13.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$2.22 €1.98

-37.39%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$4.44 €3.95

-46.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$22.35 €19.89

-26.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$3.41 €3.04

-29.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$1.66 €1.47

-37.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$2.18 €1.94

-23.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$3.28 €2.92

-52.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$2.28 €2.03

-45.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$2.29 €2.04

-52.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.82 €0.73

-37.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$14.58 €12.98

-71.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$5.60 €4.98

220.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.67 €1.48

-2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.95 €1.74

-24.62%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$95.9 €85.4

-34.77%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$10.02 €8.91

15.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$33.31 €29.64

-39.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$33.67 €29.96

12.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$10.23 €9.10

-36.36%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$1,115 €992

-56.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$788 €701

-60.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$2,049 €1,823

-48.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$1,353 €1,204

-51.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$1,995 €1,775

-70.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

39.25%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Saint-Leu: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Saint-Leu

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Saint-Leu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Saint-Leu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Saint-Leu

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Saint-Leu

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Saint-Leu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Saint-Leu

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,115 in Saint-Leu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Saint-Leu are about 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $89 in Saint-Leu. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $211 in Saint-Leu – so Saint-Leu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇪 Saint-Leu

🕒 Local time

10:05 10:05 AM

07:05 7:05 AM

3 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

34,893

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Saint-Leu 6,510 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Saint-Leu

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-Leu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint-Leu costs about 61% 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 $2,253 in Saint-Leu. 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 $481 there versus $1,115 in Saint-Leu.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,502 in Saint-Leu. That makes Chiang Mai about 38% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Saint-Leu – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,502 in Saint-Leu. 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,502 in Saint-Leu. 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.

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