Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Suva

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Suva: $938 and $946 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Suva

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $946 in Suva, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Suva $946

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,717 in Suva, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Suva $1,717

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,489 in Suva, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Suva $2,489

Chiang Mai is about 1% cheaper than Suva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Suva are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Suva 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$5.93 FJD 13.28

-61.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$44.78 FJD 100

-57.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$7.51 FJD 16.81

-25.57%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.85 FJD 6.37

-39.65%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.50 FJD 3.36

-57.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.75 FJD 1.67

-56.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$3.56 FJD 7.98

-33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$4.57 FJD 10.24

-14.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.33 FJD 2.97

54.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.57 FJD 1.28

145.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.13 FJD 2.53

13.27%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$3.38 FJD 7.57

-33.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$10.18 FJD 22.78

66.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$6.34 FJD 14.19

-56.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$7.96 FJD 17.82

17.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.49 FJD 5.58

-3.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.43 FJD 5.43

-58.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$3.55 FJD 7.94

-54.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$3.17 FJD 7.11

-52.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.26 FJD 2.83

1.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.06 FJD 2.37

4.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.16 FJD 2.61

-37.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.69 FJD 1.54

-24.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$9.89 FJD 22.15

-56.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$7.19 FJD 16.10

146.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.11 FJD 4.74

-22.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.39 FJD 7.60

-15.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.88 FJD 1.97

-3.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$22.34 FJD 50.0

141.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.92 FJD 2.05

27.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.45 FJD 1.01

26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$8.80 FJD 19.70

-73.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.43 FJD 3.21

1.40%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

-15.82%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

7.38%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$46.26 FJD 104

34.74%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$12.75 FJD 28.54

-3.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$24.21 FJD 54.2

-17.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$36.81 FJD 82.4

2.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$11.31 FJD 25.32

-66.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$3.42 FJD 7.65

96.20%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$225 FJD 503

254.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

10.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$33.29 FJD 74.5

59.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$39.64 FJD 88.8

-36.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$68.6 FJD 154

33.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$59.9 FJD 134

22.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$889 FJD 1,992

-47.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$329 FJD 736

-7.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$2,589 FJD 5,797

-64.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$999 FJD 2,236

-44.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,310 FJD 2,933

45.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$820 FJD 1,836

75.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$965 FJD 2,160

-38.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.7

-27.66%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Suva: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Suva

$329 34.7% 7.9% $24

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Suva

$231 24.4% 3% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Suva

$91 9.6% 17.2% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Suva

$83 8.8% 12% $11

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Suva

$140 14.8% 77.3% $61

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Suva

$29 3.1% 52.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Suva

$44 4.6% 15% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $889 in Suva. 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 62% higher in Suva, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $45.00 in Suva. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $231 in Suva – so Suva wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇫🇯 Suva

🕒 Local time

13:09 1:09 PM

18:09 6:09 PM

5 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

100,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.397 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.52 FJD (1 FJD = 0.397 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Suva 9,600 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Suva

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 Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva costs about 1% 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,419 in Suva. 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.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $225 in Suva. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Suva – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Suva at $946. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Suva it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $946 in Suva. 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, Suva makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.