Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Spruce Grove

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,830 in Spruce Grove, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Spruce Grove, Canada
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Spruce Grove
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,830
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Spruce Grove

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,830 in Spruce Grove, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Spruce Grove $2,830

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,540 in Spruce Grove, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Spruce Grove $2,540

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,249 in Spruce Grove, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Spruce Grove $2,249

Chiang Mai is about 67% cheaper than Spruce Grove, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Spruce Grove is 108% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Spruce Grove
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$12.06 CA$16.86
-81.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$36.36 CA$50.8
-47.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$8.81 CA$12.31
-37.00%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$2.93 CA$4.09
-43.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.54
$1.93 CA$2.70
-66.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.31
$1.95 CA$2.73
-84.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.5
$4.95 CA$6.92
-52.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$5.67 CA$7.92
-35.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Spruce Grove
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.7
$2.11 CA$2.95
-7.58%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.46
$2.72 CA$3.80
-47.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.03
$3.50 CA$4.89
-62.00%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$3.28 CA$4.58
-30.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$8.40 CA$11.73
95.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$10.75 CA$15.02
-74.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$12.64 CA$17.66
-26.34%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$3.47 CA$4.85
-32.28%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.79
$0.85 CA$1.18
14.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$3.22 CA$4.50
-50.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$2.87 CA$4.01
-47.74%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.11
$1.76 CA$2.47
-27.27%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.18
$2.04 CA$2.85
-46.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.82
$2.01 CA$2.81
-64.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.36
$1.54 CA$2.15
-68.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$12.38 CA$17.29
-66.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$8.98 CA$12.54
95.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$2.12 CA$2.96
-24.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$3.09 CA$4.31
-10.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Spruce Grove
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.30
$2.12 CA$2.97
-58.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,825
$45.85 CA$64.1
17.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.04
$2.18 CA$3.04
-46.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.80
$1.21 CA$1.70
-56.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.7
$21.24 CA$29.67
-88.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.88
$1.08 CA$1.51
34.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.5K
$28.4K CA$39.7K
-25.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.0K
$21.0K CA$29.3K
28.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Spruce Grove
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,098
$166 CA$232
-62.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$38.07 CA$53.2
-68.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$52.3 CA$73.0
-61.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Spruce Grove
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$66.7 CA$93.3
-44.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$21.72 CA$30.35
-82.64%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$14.33 CA$20.02
-54.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Spruce Grove
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$525 CA$733
40.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.2K
$15.7K CA$21.9K
-5.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Spruce Grove
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,801
$57.5 CA$80.4
-7.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$40.14 CA$56.1
-38.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,087
$86.6 CA$121
5.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,427
$113 CA$157
-36.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Spruce Grove
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$869 CA$1,214
-44.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$1,759 CA$2,458
-82.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$1,431 CA$1,999
-29.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Spruce Grove
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$2,888 CA$4,036
-79.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.51
23.50%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Spruce Grove: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Spruce Grove
$1.8K 470% $1.5K
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Spruce Grove
$313 33.4% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Spruce Grove
$134 22.9% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Spruce Grove
$257 172% $162
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Spruce Grove
$210 170% $132
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Spruce Grove
$63 2% $1.2
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Spruce Grove
$95 89.7% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $869 in Spruce Grove. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Spruce Grove are about 4.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $36 in Spruce Grove. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $313 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇨🇦 Spruce Grove
🕒 Local time
05:45 5:45 AM
16:45 4:45 PM
13 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
37,645
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Spruce Grove 11,380 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Spruce Grove

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 Spruce Grove: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Spruce Grove?
Spruce Grove costs about 202% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Spruce Grove?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $4,245 in Spruce Grove. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Spruce Grove?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $869 in Spruce Grove.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Spruce Grove?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $525 in Spruce Grove. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Spruce Grove?
Groceries cost about 33% more in Spruce Grove, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Spruce Grove?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,830 in Spruce Grove. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiang Mai or Spruce Grove?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,830 in Spruce Grove. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Spruce Grove?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Spruce Grove makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?