Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zanzibar

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanzibar: $579 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
Learn more

Zanzibar Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$579

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $579 in Zanzibar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Zanzibar $579

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $864 in Zanzibar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Zanzibar $864

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,148 in Zanzibar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Zanzibar $1,148

Chiang Mai costs about 60% more than Zanzibar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Zanzibar are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Zanzibar 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$4.70 TZS 12.3K

-51.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$22.08 TZS 57.8K

-11.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$5.59 TZS 14.6K

0.36%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.20 TZS 5,769

-24.55%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.58 TZS 1,520

20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.30 TZS 776

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.86 TZS 4,879

29.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.58 TZS 6,764

43.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$2.11 TZS 5,521

-7.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.71 TZS 1,859

98.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.79 TZS 2,058

65.82%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.71 TZS 7,092

-19.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$7.58 TZS 19.9K

119.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.21 TZS 5,776

24.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$5.87 TZS 15.4K

55.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.78 TZS 7,271

-14.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.15 TZS 3,001

-10.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.78 TZS 2,050

108.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.55 TZS 1,428

172.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.90 TZS 2,351

43.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.55 TZS 4,063

-28.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.76 TZS 2,003

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.49 TZS 1,274

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.08 TZS 5,445

107.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$9.55 TZS 25.0K

87.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.50 TZS 3,921

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.35 TZS 3,536

110.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.31 TZS 825

177.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$3.69 TZS 9,672

-67.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.73 TZS 1,920

-21.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$2.66 TZS 6,964

-11.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.21 TZS 3,180

19.01%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$48.9K TZS 128.1M

-45.22%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$74.3 TZS 194.6K

-16.12%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$11.29 TZS 29.6K

7.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$48.43 TZS 126.8K

-58.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$28.77 TZS 75.3K

28.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$9.26 TZS 24.3K

-29.81%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$13.12 TZS 34.3K

309.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$16.88 TZS 44.2K

45.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$15.05 TZS 39.4K

503.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$13.05 TZS 34.2K

445.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$147 TZS 385.1K

209.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$100 TZS 262.1K

197.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$198 TZS 518.2K

359.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$148 TZS 388.8K

273.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$37.8K TZS 99.1M

-94.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$11.5K TZS 30.1M

-87.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$312 TZS 816.7K

89.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Zanzibar: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Zanzibar

$100 17.3% 66.4% $198

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Zanzibar

$164 28.3% 30.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Zanzibar

$26 4.5% 75.8% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Zanzibar

$134 23.2% 42% $40

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Zanzibar

$99 17.1% 25.7% $20

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Zanzibar

$8.6 * 1.5% 85.8% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Zanzibar

$47 8.2% 5.5% $2.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $147 in Zanzibar. 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 89% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $22.00 in Zanzibar. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $164 in Zanzibar – so Zanzibar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

14:40 2:40 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

709,809

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, 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).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,944 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Zanzibar 7,110 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Zanzibar

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 Zanzibar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 60% more than Zanzibar, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $869 in Zanzibar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zanzibar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $925 in Chiang Mai and $579 in Zanzibar. That's a gap of about 60%.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zanzibar, where all-in costs run around $579, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Zanzibar 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. Zanzibar costs $579 versus $925 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 Zanzibar. 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.