Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duncans and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,011 in Duncans, rent and utilities included – about $900 less a year. The total is higher in Duncans despite lower rent and utilities.

48

Cost of Living Index in Duncans
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Duncans Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Duncans

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,011

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,011 per month in Duncans vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Duncans $1,011
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,673 per month in Duncans vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Duncans $1,673
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,336 per month in Duncans vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Duncans $2,336
Chiang Mai $1,979

Duncans costs about 8% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Duncans and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Duncans 26% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.60 JMD 2,144

$2.24 ฿75.7

507.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.7 JMD 11.9K

$19.00 ฿642

298.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 JMD 1,284

$5.55 ฿188

46.67%

Cappuccino

$5.44 JMD 858

$1.67 ฿56.6

225.75%

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

$1.14 JMD 180

$0.64 ฿21.56

78.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 JMD 111

$0.31 ฿10.32

129.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 JMD 355

$2.36 ฿79.6

-4.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 JMD 507

$3.66 ฿124

-12.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.15 JMD 655

$1.95 ฿65.8

112.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 JMD 588

$1.44 ฿48.51

159.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 JMD 249

$1.33 ฿45.07

18.80%

Eggs

$3.58 JMD 565

$2.28 ฿77.1

57.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 JMD 1,813

$16.45 ฿556

-30.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 JMD 979

$2.78 ฿94.0

123.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 JMD 1,631

$9.31 ฿314

11.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.01 JMD 947

$2.35 ฿79.5

155.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.97 JMD 625

$0.97 ฿32.82

309.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.54 JMD 1,190

$1.60 ฿53.9

371.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 JMD 476

$1.50 ฿50.7

101.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 JMD 523

$1.28 ฿43.15

159.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 JMD 411

$1.10 ฿37.22

137.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 475

$0.71 ฿23.84

323.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 JMD 226

$0.49 ฿16.38

191.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.48 JMD 1,494

$4.14 ฿140

128.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.25 JMD 1,775

$17.52 ฿592

-35.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 439

$1.61 ฿54.5

72.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 JMD 625

$2.78 ฿94.0

42.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 JMD 200

$1.16 ฿39.08

9.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 JMD 505

$0.53 ฿17.82

503.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 JMD 983

$2.42 ฿81.8

157.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 JMD 228

$1.45 ฿48.93

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

$44.1K JMD 7.0M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

109.33%

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

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

19.35%

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

$171 JMD 27.0K

$62.2 ฿2,100

175.53%

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

$29.64 JMD 4,674

$12.17 ฿411

143.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 JMD 8,166

$20.12 ฿680

157.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$13.41 JMD 2,115

$6.49 ฿219

106.63%

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

$355 JMD 56.0K

$736 ฿24.9K

-51.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,307 JMD 1.3M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-43.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.91 JMD 3,771

$53.4 ฿1,802

-55.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.38 JMD 4,949

$24.64 ฿832

27.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 JMD 12.4K

$91.5 ฿3,089

-13.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 JMD 16.3K

$71.9 ฿2,429

43.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

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)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

5.57

69.66%

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

Last update for Duncans: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Duncans

$384 38%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 38.9% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duncans

$253 25%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 62.6% $158

Eating Out

Duncans

$224 22.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 65.3% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Duncans

$107 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 1.8% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Duncans

$27 * 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 87.4% $23

Getting Around

Duncans

$17 * 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 255% $44

Accommodation & Living

Duncans

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Duncans versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Duncans

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

18:05 6:05 PM

12 h ahead of Duncans

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,153

127,240

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.7 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 JMD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Duncans Chiang Mai 15,850 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Duncans
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

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

Duncans costs about 8% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,517 per month in Duncans and $1,403 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 $76 in Duncans 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 64% 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 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,011 in Duncans and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,011 in Duncans. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.