Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Yaounde

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaounde: $782 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Yaounde
Learn more

Yaounde Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Yaounde

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $782 in Yaounde, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Yaounde $782

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,206 in Yaounde, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Yaounde $1,206

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,629 in Yaounde, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Yaounde $1,629

Chiang Mai costs about 20% more than Yaounde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Yaounde are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Yaounde 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$3.50 FCFA 2,040

-35.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$50.7 FCFA 29.6K

-62.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$4.97 FCFA 2,896

12.47%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.87 FCFA 1,089

-8.02%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.46 FCFA 854

-56.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.56 FCFA 324

-41.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.20 FCFA 698

96.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$1.68 FCFA 980

132.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$3.62 FCFA 2,109

-43.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.03 FCFA 602

35.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.27 FCFA 743

0.79%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.02 FCFA 1,179

11.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$13.86 FCFA 8,080

22.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$6.02 FCFA 3,509

-54.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$6.42 FCFA 3,744

45.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$4.97 FCFA 2,899

-51.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.95 FCFA 1,139

-48.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.99 FCFA 1,159

-19.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.35 FCFA 786

12.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.63 FCFA 952

-21.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.39 FCFA 813

-20.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.12 FCFA 654

-35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.65 FCFA 381

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$1.68 FCFA 982

157.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$8.25 FCFA 4,808

114.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.32 FCFA 772

23.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.94 FCFA 1,132

46.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.52 FCFA 305

63.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$17.19 FCFA 10.0K

213.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.62 FCFA 363

88.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.45 FCFA 261

26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$5.87 FCFA 3,422

-59.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.46 FCFA 848

-0.68%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$32.6K FCFA 19.0M

-37.13%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$21.2K FCFA 12.4M

25.08%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$80.1 FCFA 46.7K

-22.20%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$17.16 FCFA 10.0K

-28.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$51.3 FCFA 29.9K

-61.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$23.85 FCFA 13.9K

58.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$6.93 FCFA 4,041

-45.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$8.32 FCFA 4,849

-19.35%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$615 FCFA 358.4K

29.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$2,333 FCFA 1.4M

535.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$16.75 FCFA 9,767

217.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$27.41 FCFA 16.0K

-8.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$25.17 FCFA 14.7K

264.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$55.8 FCFA 32.6K

31.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$142 FCFA 83.0K

225.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$183 FCFA 106.7K

66.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$408 FCFA 238.1K

124.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$208 FCFA 121.2K

165.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$855 FCFA 498.8K

123.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$589 FCFA 343.7K

144.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$185 FCFA 107.8K

221.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-57.15%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Yaounde: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Yaounde

$183 23.4% 39.9% $122

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Yaounde

$249 31.8% 4.6% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Yaounde

$56 7.2% 48.6% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Yaounde

$149 19% 57.1% $54

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Yaounde

$83 10.6% 4.7% $3.7

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Yaounde

$22 2.8% 63.9% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Yaounde

$40 5.2% 21.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $142 in Yaounde. 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 222% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $51.0 in Yaounde. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $249 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇲 Yaounde

🕒 Local time

07:32 7:32 AM

01:32 1:32 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,817,524 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Yaounde 9,600 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Yaounde

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 Yaounde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 20% more than Yaounde, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,173 in Yaounde. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yaounde, 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 $615 in Yaounde. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Yaounde, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Yaounde it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Yaounde costs $782 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. 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 Yaounde. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.