Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cromwell and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,011 in Cromwell, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Cromwell
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Cromwell Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cromwell

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,011

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cromwell 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 Cromwell and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,011 per month in Cromwell vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cromwell $2,011
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,881 per month in Cromwell vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cromwell $2,881
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,751 per month in Cromwell vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cromwell $3,751
Chiang Mai $1,979

Cromwell costs about 115% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cromwell sits 48% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 NZ$25.64

$2.24 ฿75.6

543.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 NZ$111

$19.00 ฿641

229.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 NZ$20.46

$5.55 ฿187

107.39%

Cappuccino

$3.26 NZ$5.79

$1.67 ฿56.5

95.21%

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

$2.15 NZ$3.82

$0.64 ฿21.55

235.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 NZ$3.65

$0.31 ฿10.31

561.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 NZ$11.88

$2.36 ฿79.6

183.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 NZ$11.18

$3.66 ฿124

71.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NZ$3.75

$1.95 ฿65.8

8.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 NZ$3.45

$1.44 ฿48.48

34.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 NZ$3.01

$1.33 ฿45.04

27.07%

Eggs

$5.81 NZ$10.32

$2.28 ฿77.1

154.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 NZ$15.38

$16.45 ฿555

-47.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 NZ$16.66

$2.78 ฿93.9

237.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 NZ$29.52

$9.31 ฿314

78.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.45

$2.35 ฿79.4

30.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NZ$4.13

$0.97 ฿32.80

139.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 NZ$5.65

$1.60 ฿53.9

98.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.02 NZ$8.92

$1.50 ฿50.6

234.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.29

$1.28 ฿43.12

44.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.22

$1.10 ฿37.19

64.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 NZ$4.05

$0.71 ฿23.82

221.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 NZ$1.06

$0.49 ฿16.37

22.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.12 NZ$37.55

$4.14 ฿140

410.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 NZ$15.89

$17.52 ฿591

-48.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.15 NZ$5.60

$1.61 ฿54.5

95.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 NZ$2.16

$2.78 ฿94.0

-56.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 NZ$3.33

$0.87 ฿29.31

116.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 NZ$166

$54.1 ฿1,826

72.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 NZ$3.94

$1.16 ฿39.06

91.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 NZ$3.72

$0.53 ฿17.80

294.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.85 NZ$51.3

$2.42 ฿81.8

1092.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.25

$1.45 ฿48.90

26.21%

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

$28.2K NZ$50.1K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

33.78%

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

$22.8K NZ$40.5K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-15.38%

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

$110 NZ$196

$62.2 ฿2,098

77.06%

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

$28.58 NZ$50.8

$12.17 ฿411

134.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 NZ$94.0

$20.12 ฿679

162.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.41 NZ$70.1

$37.31 ฿1,259

5.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.00 NZ$12.45

$3.77 ฿127

85.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.35 NZ$14.84

$6.49 ฿219

28.66%

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

$796 NZ$1,415

$736 ฿24.8K

8.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K NZ$22.1K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-15.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 NZ$106

$53.4 ฿1,801

11.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.97 NZ$63.9

$24.64 ฿831

45.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 NZ$161

$91.5 ฿3,087

-0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NZ$238

$71.9 ฿2,428

85.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 NZ$1,800

$482 ฿16.3K

110.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 NZ$1,657

$309 ฿10.4K

201.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 NZ$2,912

$1,006 ฿33.9K

62.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 NZ$2,296

$633 ฿21.4K

103.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,771 NZ$8,481

$2,363 ฿79.8K

101.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,354 NZ$5,962

$1,589 ฿53.6K

111.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,034 NZ$5,393

$590 ฿19.9K

414.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

5.57

18.49%

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

Last update for Cromwell: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cromwell

$932 46.4%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 66.9% $623

Groceries & Markets

Cromwell

$322 16%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 27.2% $87

Eating Out

Cromwell

$252 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 69.2% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cromwell

$192 9.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 50.7% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Cromwell

$144 7.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 24.6% $35

Getting Around

Cromwell

$113 5.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 45.9% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Cromwell

$56 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 10.4% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,013 in Cromwell 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 Cromwell are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Cromwell versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Cromwell

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 PM

08:59 8:59 AM

6 h behind Cromwell

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

127,240

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cromwell Chiang Mai 10,020 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cromwell
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

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

Cromwell costs about 115% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,016 per month in Cromwell 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,013 in Cromwell.

Kindergarten costs $796 per month in Cromwell and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Cromwell, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,011 in Cromwell and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cromwell makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.