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 $880 per month in Duncans vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,432 per month in Duncans vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,985 per month in Duncans vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Duncans costs about 1% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.56 JMD 1,189

$1.98 ฿65.0

281.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 JMD 9,945

$18.80 ฿619

236.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.58 JMD 1,349

$7.75 ฿255

10.71%

Cappuccino

$4.32 JMD 680

$1.92 ฿63.2

125.00%

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

$1.30 JMD 205

$0.79 ฿26.07

64.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 118

$0.36 ฿11.74

108.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 JMD 382

$2.21 ฿72.9

9.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 JMD 498

$3.66 ฿120

-13.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.34 JMD 683

$1.65 ฿54.4

163.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 JMD 547

$1.63 ฿53.7

113.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 JMD 257

$1.19 ฿39.28

36.97%

Eggs

$3.59 JMD 564

$2.00 ฿65.8

79.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 JMD 1,748

$15.98 ฿526

-30.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 JMD 1,025

$3.03 ฿99.6

115.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.49 JMD 1,177

$10.86 ฿357

-31.03%

Apples (1kg)

$6.09 JMD 959

$2.76 ฿90.9

120.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 JMD 494

$1.18 ฿38.83

166.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 JMD 657

$1.64 ฿54.0

154.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 JMD 478

$1.52 ฿50.0

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 JMD 321

$1.38 ฿45.59

47.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 JMD 305

$1.19 ฿39.25

63.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 JMD 470

$0.70 ฿23.11

327.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 JMD 234

$0.56 ฿18.32

166.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.66 JMD 1,362

$4.58 ฿151

89.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.33 JMD 1,783

$16.56 ฿545

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 JMD 451

$1.83 ฿60.2

56.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 JMD 498

$3.20 ฿105

-0.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿616

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 JMD 168

$1.36 ฿44.64

-21.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 JMD 486

$1.34 ฿44.12

130.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 JMD 1,013

$7.84 ฿258

-17.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 JMD 203

$1.23 ฿40.35

4.88%

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

$42.1K JMD 6.6M

$21.6K ฿711.8K

94.75%

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

$33.0K JMD 5.2M

$22.5K ฿742.2K

46.38%

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

$163 JMD 25.6K

$70.5 ฿2,322

130.66%

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

$22.31 JMD 3,509

$13.68 ฿450

63.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 JMD 7,942

$17.45 ฿574

189.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,361

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿229

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 JMD 2,032

$5.77 ฿190

123.92%

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

$225 JMD 35.4K

$307 ฿10.1K

-26.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,464 JMD 387.5K

$14.6K ฿481.0K

-83.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.26 JMD 4,130

$55.8 ฿1,837

-52.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.90 JMD 4,074

$26.21 ฿863

-1.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.3 JMD 11.2K

$85.8 ฿2,823

-16.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.2 JMD 11.8K

$72.2 ฿2,378

4.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,857

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿65.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.4K

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Duncans versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $241 – 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 1% 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 $1,319 per month in Duncans and $1,303 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 $63.0 in Duncans and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% 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 $880 in Duncans and $869 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $869 versus $880 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.