Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sao Tome

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,219 in Sao Tome, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Tome
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Sao Tome Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Sao Tome

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$1,219

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Sao Tome

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,219 in Sao Tome, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Sao Tome $1,219

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,924 in Sao Tome, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Sao Tome $1,924

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,629 in Sao Tome, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Sao Tome $2,629

Chiang Mai is about 24% cheaper than Sao Tome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Sao Tome are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Sao Tome 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$9.18 STN 200

-75.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$45.02 STN 981

-56.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.99 STN 174

-29.79%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.33 STN 50.8

-28.76%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.81 STN 39.49

-61.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.27 STN 27.64

-75.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.66 STN 36.20

45.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$1.88 STN 40.98

97.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.52 STN 33.18

28.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.01 STN 22.12

39.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$2.13 STN 46.40

-38.50%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$4.96 STN 108

-56.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$19.41 STN 423

-14.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$19.50 STN 425

-85.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$24.70 STN 538

-63.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$3.82 STN 83.3

-37.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.78 STN 38.75

-42.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$3.59 STN 78.2

-54.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$3.48 STN 75.9

-56.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$2.83 STN 61.6

-54.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$2.31 STN 50.4

-51.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.54 STN 11.76

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$2.06 STN 45.01

-74.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.33 STN 50.8

84.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$7.96 STN 174

125.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.56 STN 34.09

1.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.65 STN 36.01

72.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.34 STN 29.17

-35.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.66 STN 36.13

-27.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$2.55 STN 55.6

-77.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$13.93 STN 304

-83.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.69 STN 36.95

-14.79%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$24.3K STN 529.0K

-14.57%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$31.6K STN 689.7K

-15.29%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$233 STN 5,083

-73.27%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$30.60 STN 667

-60.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$65.9 STN 1,436

-69.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$33.92 STN 739

9.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$25.32 STN 552

-85.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$19.86 STN 433

-67.27%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$226 STN 4,925

250.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$2,179 STN 47.5K

579.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$75.1 STN 1,638

-67.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$18.53 STN 404

283.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$283 STN 6,161

61.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$192 STN 4,184

55.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$929 STN 20.3K

-2.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$452 STN 9,846

22.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,850 STN 40.3K

4.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,160 STN 25.3K

24.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$257 STN 5,595

130.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.38

-24.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Sao Tome

$192 15.7% 35.6% $106

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Sao Tome

$412 33.8% 75% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Sao Tome

$42 * 3.5% 61% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Sao Tome

$330 27% 249% $235

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Sao Tome

$150 12.3% 90.6% $71

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sao Tome

$20 * 1.6% 67.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sao Tome

$74 6% 47.1% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $283 in Sao Tome. 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 130% 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 $45.00 in Sao Tome. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $412 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇹 Sao Tome

🕒 Local time

16:45 4:45 PM

09:45 9:45 AM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

53,300 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 STN = 4.59 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

STN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 21.8 STN (100 STN = 4.59 USD). 1 EUR = 24.51 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sao Tome 10,230 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sao Tome

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 Sao Tome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Tome costs about 32% 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 $1,829 in Sao Tome. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $45.00 in Sao Tome. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 75% more in Sao Tome, 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 Sao Tome at $1,219. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Tome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,219 in Sao Tome. 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, Sao Tome makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.