Cost of Living Comparison Between Duncans and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Duncans and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $894 per month in Duncans vs $872 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,423 per month in Duncans vs $1,337 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,952 per month in Duncans vs $1,802 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Duncans costs about 2% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Duncans and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Duncans 34% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.38 JMD 1,168

$2.01 ฿64.5

267.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 JMD 9,765

$18.23 ฿584

238.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.53 JMD 1,350

$7.65 ฿245

11.50%

Cappuccino

$4.38 JMD 693

$1.92 ฿61.5

128.13%

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

$1.36 JMD 215

$0.84 ฿26.96

61.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 118

$0.36 ฿11.42

105.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 JMD 391

$2.19 ฿70.2

12.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 JMD 492

$3.79 ฿121

-17.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.28 JMD 677

$1.64 ฿52.5

160.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.63 JMD 574

$1.62 ฿51.9

124.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 JMD 244

$1.15 ฿36.96

33.91%

Eggs

$3.46 JMD 548

$1.94 ฿62.1

78.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 JMD 1,721

$15.94 ฿511

-31.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 1,003

$3.10 ฿99.4

104.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 JMD 1,228

$11.07 ฿355

-29.90%

Apples (1kg)

$6.04 JMD 956

$2.71 ฿86.7

122.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 JMD 488

$1.18 ฿37.77

161.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 JMD 662

$1.71 ฿54.6

144.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 JMD 486

$1.61 ฿51.4

90.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 JMD 333

$1.39 ฿44.63

51.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 320

$1.15 ฿36.78

75.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 JMD 492

$0.71 ฿22.81

338.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 229

$0.55 ฿17.63

161.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.00 JMD 1,424

$4.57 ฿146

96.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 JMD 1,817

$18.87 ฿605

-39.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 459

$1.82 ฿58.3

59.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 JMD 481

$3.21 ฿103

-5.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.89 ฿605

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 JMD 170

$1.41 ฿45.27

-24.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 JMD 511

$1.30 ฿41.68

148.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 JMD 993

$8.20 ฿263

-23.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 JMD 195

$1.23 ฿39.27

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

$43.1K JMD 6.8M

$21.2K ฿678.5K

103.31%

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

$34.2K JMD 5.4M

$22.3K ฿714.9K

53.20%

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

$163 JMD 25.8K

$69.9 ฿2,239

132.95%

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

$22.03 JMD 3,487

$14.07 ฿451

56.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 JMD 8,016

$17.70 ฿567

186.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.41 ฿1,327

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 ฿214

Cinema Ticket

$13.02 JMD 2,061

$5.74 ฿184

126.83%

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

$229 JMD 36.3K

$299 ฿9,587

-23.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,435 JMD 385.3K

$15.0K ฿480.9K

-83.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.13 JMD 4,135

$54.8 ฿1,756

-52.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.25 JMD 3,996

$26.35 ฿844

-4.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 JMD 11.2K

$84.7 ฿2,712

-16.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.2 JMD 12.1K

$69.7 ฿2,234

9.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 ฿13.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ฿7,713

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 ฿64.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,524 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$639 ฿20.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

83.00%

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

Last update for Duncans: April 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $0 in Duncans versus $427 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Duncans versus $18 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $246 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Duncans costs about 2% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,341 per month in Duncans and $1,308 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Duncans and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $894 in Duncans and $872 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $872 versus $894 in Duncans. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Duncans makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.