Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Walvis Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Walvis Bay: $832 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Walvis Bay

🇳🇦 Namibia

$832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Walvis Bay

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $832 in Walvis Bay, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Walvis Bay $832

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $901 in Walvis Bay, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Walvis Bay $901

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $971 in Walvis Bay, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Walvis Bay $971

Chiang Mai costs about 12% more than Walvis Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Walvis Bay are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Walvis Bay 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$8.97 NAD 150

-75.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$20.70 NAD 346

-8.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$7.41 NAD 124

-25.10%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.07 NAD 34.54

-19.32%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.94 NAD 15.64

-31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.74 NAD 12.42

-58.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.70 NAD 28.47

38.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.05 NAD 50.9

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.61 NAD 26.89

21.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.91 NAD 15.21

58.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.75 NAD 29.20

-24.00%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.85 NAD 30.88

23.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$9.65 NAD 161

70.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$6.17 NAD 103

-54.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.18 NAD 120

29.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.18 NAD 36.42

7.80%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.04 NAD 34.02

-52.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.65 NAD 27.60

-9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$2.46 NAD 41.11

-47.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$2.96 NAD 49.47

-62.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.85 NAD 30.96

-61.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$1.75 NAD 29.25

901.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.93 NAD 15.60

24.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

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

$12.17 ฿411

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$41.82 NAD 699

-10.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$66.9 NAD 1,117

-20.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$442 NAD 7,389

-30.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Walvis Bay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Walvis Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Walvis Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Walvis Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Walvis Bay

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Walvis Bay

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Walvis Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Walvis Bay

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $21 in Walvis Bay. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $177 in Walvis Bay – so Walvis Bay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇦 Walvis Bay

🕒 Local time

15:16 3:16 PM

10:16 10:16 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

62,096

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Namibian Dollar NAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 NAD = 5.99 USD

100 NAD = 5.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 16.71 NAD (100 NAD = 5.99 USD). 1 EUR = 18.64 NAD (100 NAD = 5.36 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Walvis Bay 10,270 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Walvis Bay

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 Walvis Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 12% more than Walvis Bay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $1,248 in Walvis Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $832 in Walvis Bay. That makes Walvis Bay about 11% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $832 in Walvis Bay. 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 $832 in Walvis Bay to $936 in Chiang Mai. 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.