Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tacarigua Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tacarigua

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,153 in Tacarigua, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,001 in Tacarigua, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,849 in Tacarigua, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 25% cheaper than Tacarigua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Tacarigua are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Tacarigua 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$10.48 TTD 70.5

-81.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$87.4 TTD 588

-79.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$6.55 TTD 44.07

14.20%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$3.03 TTD 20.40

-33.33%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$1.00 TTD 6.73

-15.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.72 TTD 4.84

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$1.05 TTD 7.03

103.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$3.19 TTD 21.46

12.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.95 TTD 13.10

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$1.60 TTD 10.75

-1.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$2.62 TTD 17.61

-54.58%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$3.57 TTD 23.99

-45.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$3.74 TTD 25.18

332.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$3.68 TTD 24.73

-18.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$14.18 TTD 95.4

-22.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$5.71 TTD 38.42

-52.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$1.66 TTD 11.13

-29.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$4.21 TTD 28.32

-59.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$4.65 TTD 31.27

-65.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.00 TTD 6.70

38.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.45 TTD 3.04

166.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$1.46 TTD 9.84

-54.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$1.41 TTD 9.51

-60.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$5.75 TTD 38.70

-19.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$19.08 TTD 128

-7.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$2.14 TTD 14.36

-13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.83 TTD 19.03

16.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$1.06 TTD 7.11

-16.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$1.00 TTD 6.73

36.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$1.21 TTD 8.17

10.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$14.51 TTD 97.6

-43.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$0.42 TTD 2.85

190.48%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$33.4K TTD 224.4K

-35.99%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$32.3K TTD 217.1K

-30.19%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$80.3 TTD 540

-11.99%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$46.50 TTD 313

-69.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$36.75 TTD 247

-52.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$50.8 TTD 342

-17.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$7.61 TTD 51.2

-22.21%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$327 TTD 2,200

-5.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$7,296 TTD 49.1K

103.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$29.83 TTD 201

86.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$29.35 TTD 197

-11.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$72.7 TTD 489

14.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$45.20 TTD 304

55.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$371 TTD 2,493

-35.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$889 TTD 5,978

-42.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

-7.06%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tacarigua: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $87.0 in Tacarigua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $292 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Tacarigua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tacarigua costs about 34% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,729 in Tacarigua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $87.0 in Tacarigua. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Tacarigua, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $1,153 in Tacarigua, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $861 versus $1,153 in Tacarigua. 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, Tacarigua makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.