Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durbanville and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,133 in Durbanville, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Durbanville
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Durbanville Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Durbanville

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,133

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,133 per month in Durbanville vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Durbanville $1,133
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,795 per month in Durbanville vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Durbanville $1,795
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,457 per month in Durbanville vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Durbanville $2,457
Chiang Mai $1,999

Durbanville costs about 21% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Durbanville and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Durbanville 16% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 R 200

$2.13 ฿71.8

469.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.36 R 730

$18.62 ฿626

138.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$5.60 ฿188

9.82%

Cappuccino

$2.34 R 38.47

$1.66 ฿55.9

40.96%

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

$0.92 R 15.11

$0.65 ฿21.75

41.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R 10.23

$0.30 ฿10.25

106.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R 40.57

$2.32 ฿78.1

6.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 R 45.36

$3.67 ฿123

-24.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 R 21.55

$2.02 ฿67.8

-35.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 R 20.13

$1.41 ฿47.34

-13.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 R 36.08

$1.39 ฿46.79

57.55%

Eggs

$3.19 R 52.5

$2.37 ฿79.6

34.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 R 142

$16.52 ฿555

-47.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 R 108

$2.67 ฿89.8

146.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.51 R 156

$9.02 ฿303

5.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.47

$2.40 ฿80.6

-22.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.04

$1.04 ฿35.01

87.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.29

$1.66 ฿55.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 R 33.55

$1.56 ฿52.4

30.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.66

$1.24 ฿41.61

20.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.54

$1.09 ฿36.53

36.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.32

$0.76 ฿25.61

71.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R 19.33

$0.51 ฿17.29

129.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.43 R 56.4

$4.12 ฿139

-16.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.04 R 99.3

$17.93 ฿603

-66.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.67

$1.62 ฿54.6

-14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 R 35.07

$2.82 ฿94.9

-24.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 R 29.25

$0.93 ฿31.42

91.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R 15.39

$1.18 ฿39.56

-20.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.64

$0.17 ฿5.76

423.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 R 83.7

$1.81 ฿60.9

181.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.00

$1.47 ฿49.51

7.48%

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

$34.8K R 572.2K

$21.0K ฿706.4K

65.54%

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

$33.4K R 549.3K

$26.5K ฿891.4K

25.93%

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

$116 R 1,916

$62.6 ฿2,103

86.16%

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

$26.41 R 434

$11.60 ฿390

127.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.07 R 659

$20.30 ฿683

97.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.32 R 449

$37.88 ฿1,274

-27.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.41 R 171

$3.70 ฿124

181.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 R 148

$6.51 ฿219

38.25%

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

$306 R 5,029

$727 ฿24.4K

-57.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,314 R 136.8K

$16.6K ฿557.2K

-49.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 R 956

$53.5 ฿1,800

8.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.93 R 542

$24.80 ฿834

32.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 R 1,923

$90.4 ฿3,039

29.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 R 1,681

$72.0 ฿2,420

42.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 R 6,356

$481 ฿16.2K

-19.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 R 5,965

$310 ฿10.4K

17.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 R 12.2K

$1,058 ฿35.6K

-29.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 R 11.9K

$659 ฿22.1K

9.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$762 R 12.5K

$2,418 ฿81.3K

-68.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$680 R 11.2K

$1,609 ฿54.1K

-57.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,039 R 17.1K

$595 ฿20.0K

74.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

5.57

95.51%

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

Last update for Durbanville: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durbanville

$363 32%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 14.5% $53

Groceries & Markets

Durbanville

$222 19.6%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 6.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durbanville

$183 16.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 48.4% $88

Eating Out

Durbanville

$168 14.8%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 54.3% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Durbanville

$140 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 22.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Durbanville

$45 4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 12.3% $5.6

Getting Around

Durbanville

$13 * 1.1%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 369% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $386 in Durbanville versus $481 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 run about 75% higher in Durbanville. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Durbanville versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Durbanville vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Durbanville wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Durbanville

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

03:42 3:42 AM

5 h ahead of Durbanville

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,000

127,240

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.08 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 16.45 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Durbanville Chiang Mai 10,310 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Durbanville
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

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

Durbanville costs about 21% 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 $1,699 per month in Durbanville 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 Durbanville, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $386 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Durbanville and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Durbanville – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,133 in Durbanville and $935 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,133 in Durbanville. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Durbanville makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.