Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotonou and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living costs are similar in Cotonou and in Chiang Mai: $897 and $936 a month, rent and utilities included.

43

Cost of Living Index in Cotonou
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Cotonou Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cotonou

🇧🇯 Benin

$897

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cotonou and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $897 per month in Cotonou vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cotonou $897
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,428 per month in Cotonou vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cotonou $1,428
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,958 per month in Cotonou vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cotonou $1,958
Chiang Mai $1,979

Cotonou is about 4% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cotonou and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Cotonou 34% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.18 F CFA 3,050

$2.24 ฿75.7

131.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.68 F CFA 21.0K

$19.00 ฿642

87.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 F CFA 5,527

$5.55 ฿188

69.19%

Cappuccino

$5.25 F CFA 3,093

$1.67 ฿56.6

214.37%

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

$1.00 F CFA 590

$0.64 ฿21.56

56.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 F CFA 523

$0.31 ฿10.32

187.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 F CFA 511

$2.36 ฿79.6

-63.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 F CFA 1,525

$3.66 ฿124

-29.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 F CFA 1,824

$1.95 ฿65.8

58.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 F CFA 725

$1.44 ฿48.51

-14.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 F CFA 1,108

$1.33 ฿45.07

41.35%

Eggs

$2.74 F CFA 1,614

$2.28 ฿77.1

20.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 F CFA 5,449

$16.45 ฿556

-43.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 F CFA 3,196

$2.78 ฿94.0

95.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.04 F CFA 2,966

$9.31 ฿314

-45.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 F CFA 2,351

$2.35 ฿79.5

69.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 F CFA 1,046

$0.97 ฿32.82

83.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 F CFA 781

$1.60 ฿53.9

-16.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 F CFA 1,595

$1.50 ฿50.7

80.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 F CFA 746

$1.28 ฿43.15

-0.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 989

$1.10 ฿37.22

52.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 F CFA 253

$0.71 ฿23.84

-39.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 F CFA 672

$0.49 ฿16.38

132.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 F CFA 1,982

$4.14 ฿140

-18.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.30 F CFA 2,530

$17.52 ฿592

-75.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 F CFA 690

$1.61 ฿54.5

-27.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 F CFA 1,094

$2.78 ฿94.0

-33.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 F CFA 766

$0.87 ฿29.33

49.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 F CFA 810

$1.16 ฿39.08

18.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 F CFA 778

$0.53 ฿17.82

149.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 F CFA 696

$1.45 ฿48.93

-18.62%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$23.5K F CFA 13.8M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-12.74%

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

$145 F CFA 85.3K

$62.2 ฿2,100

132.99%

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

$33.52 F CFA 19.7K

$12.17 ฿411

175.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.06 F CFA 28.9K

$20.12 ฿680

143.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.60 F CFA 28.0K

$37.31 ฿1,260

27.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.36 F CFA 1,978

$3.77 ฿127

-10.88%

Cinema Ticket

$8.58 F CFA 5,055

$6.49 ฿219

32.20%

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

$131 F CFA 77.1K

$736 ฿24.9K

-82.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,544 F CFA 3.3M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-62.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.39 F CFA 15.0K

$53.4 ฿1,802

-52.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.44 F CFA 19.7K

$91.5 ฿3,089

-63.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.9 F CFA 40.0K

$71.9 ฿2,429

-5.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$176 F CFA 103.6K

$482 ฿16.3K

-63.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 F CFA 95.9K

$309 ฿10.4K

-47.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 F CFA 353.4K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-40.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 F CFA 242.9K

$633 ฿21.4K

-34.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$251 F CFA 147.5K

$590 ฿19.9K

-57.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-28.19%

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

Last update for Cotonou: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cotonou

$227 25.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 58.5% $133

Groceries & Markets

Cotonou

$222 24.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 5.6% $12

Accommodation & Living

Cotonou

$163 18.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 89.7% $146

Eating Out

Cotonou

$150 16.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 48.2% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Cotonou

$65 7.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 22.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Cotonou

$57 * 6.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 90.4% $52

Getting Around

Cotonou

$13 * 1.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 366% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $176 in Cotonou versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Cotonou versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Cotonou vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Cotonou wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇯 Cotonou

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

22:49 10:49 PM

6 h ahead of Cotonou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

780,000

127,240

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 655 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cotonou Chiang Mai 10,470 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cotonou
Chiang Mai

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

Cotonou vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Cotonou, 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 $1,345 per month in Cotonou and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cotonou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $176 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Cotonou and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% 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.

Families tend to lean toward Cotonou – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cotonou. 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.