Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Victoria, Canada

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,554 in Victoria, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Victoria, Canada
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Victoria
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,554
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,554 in Victoria, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Victoria $2,554

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,830 in Victoria, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Victoria $3,830

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,107 in Victoria, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Victoria $5,107

Chiang Mai is about 63% cheaper than Victoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Victoria is 88% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Victoria
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.7
$19.57 CA$27.46
-88.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿642
$70.3 CA$98.6
-72.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿188
$10.92 CA$15.33
-49.18%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.6
$4.27 CA$5.99
-60.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.56
$2.34 CA$3.28
-72.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.32
$1.88 CA$2.65
-83.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$5.57 CA$7.82
-57.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$6.63 CA$9.31
-44.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Victoria
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$2.79 CA$3.92
-30.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.51
$3.08 CA$4.32
-53.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.07
$4.06 CA$5.69
-67.24%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$4.25 CA$5.96
-46.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿556
$27.60 CA$38.73
-40.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$12.88 CA$18.07
-78.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$14.43 CA$20.25
-35.48%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.5
$4.09 CA$5.74
-42.54%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.82
$1.47 CA$2.06
-34.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$3.90 CA$5.48
-58.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$4.16 CA$5.84
-63.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.15
$3.54 CA$4.97
-63.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.22
$2.88 CA$4.04
-61.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.84
$3.24 CA$4.55
-78.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.38
$2.51 CA$3.52
-80.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$15.04 CA$21.10
-72.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿592
$17.77 CA$24.94
-1.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$3.85 CA$5.40
-58.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$3.62 CA$5.08
-23.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Victoria
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.33
$2.10 CA$2.95
-58.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,827
$60.0 CA$84.2
-9.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.08
$2.78 CA$3.91
-58.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.82
$1.59 CA$2.23
-66.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$34.64 CA$48.62
-93.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$1.39 CA$1.95
4.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿711.2K
$28.6K CA$40.1K
-26.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.8K
$21.2K CA$29.8K
26.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Victoria
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,100
$104 CA$146
-40.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$44.11 CA$61.9
-72.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿680
$62.1 CA$87.2
-67.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Victoria
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,260
$41.39 CA$58.1
-9.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$17.05 CA$23.93
-77.89%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$10.58 CA$14.85
-38.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Victoria
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.9K
$890 CA$1,248
-17.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.6K
$23.1K CA$32.4K
-36.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Victoria
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,802
$55.4 CA$77.8
-3.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿832
$43.45 CA$61.0
-43.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,089
$91.9 CA$129
-0.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,429
$107 CA$150
-32.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Victoria
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$1,557 CA$2,186
-69.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$1,300 CA$1,825
-76.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿34.0K
$2,730 CA$3,831
-63.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$2,233 CA$3,134
-71.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
$5,638 CA$7,912
-58.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.7K
$4,578 CA$6,425
-65.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Victoria
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$3,229 CA$4,532
-81.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.31
29.23%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Victoria: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Victoria
$1.3K 321% $992
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Victoria
$470 100% $235
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Victoria
$134 23.3% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Victoria
$210 123% $116
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Victoria
$299 285% $221
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Victoria
$79 29% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Victoria
$63 24.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,557 in Victoria. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Victoria are about 5.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $70 in Victoria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $470 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇨🇦 Victoria
🕒 Local time
05:28 5:28 AM
15:28 3:28 PM
14 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
85,792
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Victoria 11,440 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Victoria

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 Victoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Victoria?
Victoria costs about 173% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Victoria?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,832 in Victoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Victoria?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,557 in Victoria.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Victoria?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $890 in Victoria. 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 Victoria?
Groceries cost about 100% more in Victoria, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Victoria?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,554 in Victoria. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Victoria?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Victoria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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