Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Somerset West

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,160 in Somerset West, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Somerset West
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Somerset West Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Somerset West

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,160

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Somerset West

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,160 in Somerset West, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Somerset West $1,160

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,888 in Somerset West, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Somerset West $1,888

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,615 in Somerset West, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Somerset West $2,615

Chiang Mai is about 19% cheaper than Somerset West, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Somerset West are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Somerset West 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$12.23 R 204

-81.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$45.52 R 759

-58.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$5.44 R 90.7

2.02%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.06 R 34.34

-18.93%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.06 R 17.74

-39.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.84 R 14.01

-63.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.58 R 42.91

-8.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.27 R 54.5

11.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.03 R 17.13

89.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.98 R 16.39

46.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.08 R 34.70

-36.06%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.28 R 38.00

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$8.34 R 139

97.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$5.18 R 86.3

-46.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.22 R 154

0.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.81 R 30.23

29.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.89 R 31.47

-48.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.74 R 29.00

-8.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.69 R 28.20

-11.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.51 R 25.23

-15.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.53 R 25.48

-28.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.29 R 21.42

-44.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.07 R 17.80

-54.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.39 R 56.5

22.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$5.89 R 98.1

197.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.36 R 22.73

18.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.75 R 29.17

58.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.11 R 18.47

-21.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$60.4 R 1,007

-10.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.59 R 9.81

96.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.54 R 25.72

-65.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$4.94 R 82.4

-51.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.42 R 23.68

2.11%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$29.3K R 487.5K

-28.02%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$29.4K R 489.1K

-8.22%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$82.1 R 1,368

-24.25%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$29.05 R 484

-58.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$40.47 R 674

-50.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$44.16 R 736

-15.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$10.43 R 174

-63.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.28 R 121

-10.85%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$251 R 4,175

193.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$3,596 R 59.9K

310.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$30.99 R 516

72.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$31.32 R 522

-21.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$71.3 R 1,189

28.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$56.3 R 939

27.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$643 R 10.7K

-24.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$426 R 7,095

-27.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,341 R 22.3K

-25.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$937 R 15.6K

-32.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,221 R 20.3K

93.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$892 R 14.9K

78.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,418 R 23.6K

-58.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.12

-44.96%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Somerset West: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Somerset West

$426 36.7% 37.8% $117

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Somerset West

$200 17.2% 14.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Somerset West

$86 7.4% 21.3% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Somerset West

$152 13.1% 60.5% $57

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Somerset West

$166 14.3% 114% $88

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Somerset West

$73 6.3% 19.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Somerset West

$59 5.1% 16.8% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $643 in Somerset West. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Somerset West are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $46 in Somerset West. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $200 in Somerset West – so Somerset West wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇿🇦 Somerset West

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

23:39 11:39 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

55,166

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Somerset West 10,300 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Somerset West

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 Somerset West: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Somerset West costs about 24% 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 $1,740 in Somerset West. 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 $643 in Somerset West.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $251 in Somerset West. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Somerset West – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,160 in Somerset West. 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 $1,160 in Somerset West. 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, Somerset West makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.