Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and San Francisco de Macoris

For one person, living is cheaper in San Francisco de Macoris: $696 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
San Francisco de Macoris
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$696
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in San Francisco de Macoris

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 San Francisco de Macoris actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $696 in San Francisco de Macoris, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $935
  • San Francisco de Macoris $696

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,146 in San Francisco de Macoris, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,467
  • San Francisco de Macoris $1,146

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,596 in San Francisco de Macoris, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,999
  • San Francisco de Macoris $1,596

Chiang Mai costs about 34% more than San Francisco de Macoris, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and San Francisco de Macoris are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, San Francisco de Macoris 49% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.13 ฿72.0
$9.90 DOP 594
-78.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.62 ฿628
$48.75 DOP 2,928
-61.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.60 ฿189
$7.54 DOP 453
-25.73%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿56.1
$2.28 DOP 137
-27.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ฿21.83
$1.06 DOP 63.7
-38.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ฿10.29
$0.57 DOP 34.46
-47.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.32 ฿78.4
$2.46 DOP 148
-5.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 ฿124
$3.16 DOP 190
16.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 ฿68.0
$1.42 DOP 85.3
42.25%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.51
$1.52 DOP 91.0
-7.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ฿46.96
$1.56 DOP 93.8
-10.90%
Eggs
$2.37 ฿79.9
$2.24 DOP 135
5.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.52 ฿557
$7.24 DOP 435
128.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.67 ฿90.1
$5.48 DOP 329
-51.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.02 ฿304
$6.52 DOP 392
38.34%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.9
$3.24 DOP 195
-25.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 ฿35.13
$0.77 DOP 46.33
35.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$2.72 DOP 163
-38.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.6
$1.77 DOP 106
-11.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.76
$1.97 DOP 118
-37.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.66
$2.16 DOP 130
-49.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 ฿25.70
$0.98 DOP 59.1
-22.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.35
$0.94 DOP 56.5
-45.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.12 ฿139
$5.17 DOP 310
-20.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.93 ฿605
$10.05 DOP 604
78.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ฿54.8
$2.53 DOP 152
-35.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 ฿95.2
$2.86 DOP 172
-1.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 ฿31.53
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.9 ฿1,785
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 ฿39.70
$3.35 DOP 201
-64.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 ฿5.79
$2.16 DOP 130
-92.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 ฿61.1
$5.55 DOP 333
-67.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.69
$1.37 DOP 82.3
7.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ฿708.9K
$28.5K DOP 1.7M
-26.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿894.6K
$34.1K DOP 2.0M
-22.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.6 ฿2,111
$93.2 DOP 5,599
-32.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 ฿392
$31.53 DOP 1,894
-63.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.30 ฿685
$35.43 DOP 2,128
-42.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.88 ฿1,278
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.70 ฿125
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.51 ฿220
$7.39 DOP 444
-11.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$727 ฿24.5K
$252 DOP 15.2K
188.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K ฿559.2K
$7,453 DOP 447.6K
122.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ฿1,807
$44.43 DOP 2,668
20.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.80 ฿837
$45.32 DOP 2,722
-45.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 ฿3,050
$84.8 DOP 5,092
6.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.0 ฿2,428
$124 DOP 7,445
-41.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$481 ฿16.2K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 ฿10.5K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,058 ฿35.7K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ฿22.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,418 ฿81.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,609 ฿54.3K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿20.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
13.56
-58.92%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Francisco de Macoris: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$310
San Francisco de Macoris
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$237
San Francisco de Macoris
$218 8% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
San Francisco de Macoris
$134 24% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
San Francisco de Macoris
$160 69.6% $66
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$77
San Francisco de Macoris
$154 102% $78
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$59
San Francisco de Macoris
$14 * 75.9% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
San Francisco de Macoris
$15 * 71% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $49 in San Francisco de Macoris. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $218 in San Francisco de Macoris – so San Francisco de Macoris wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇩🇴 San Francisco de Macoris
🕒 Local time
03:56 3:56 AM
16:56 4:56 PM
11 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
245,397
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 60.06 DOP (100 DOP = 1.67 USD). 1 EUR = 67.17 DOP (100 DOP = 1.49 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai San Francisco de Macoris 15,620 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • San Francisco de Macoris

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 San Francisco de Macoris: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or San Francisco de Macoris?
Chiang Mai costs about 34% more than San Francisco de Macoris, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in San Francisco de Macoris?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,043 in San Francisco de Macoris. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do dining costs compare in Chiang Mai and in San Francisco de Macoris?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $49 in San Francisco de Macoris. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in San Francisco de Macoris?
Groceries cost about 9% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in San Francisco de Macoris?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in San Francisco de Macoris, where all-in costs run around $696, than in Chiang Mai at $935. In San Francisco de Macoris it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiang Mai or San Francisco de Macoris?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $696 in San Francisco de Macoris to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

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