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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,171 per month in Falmouth vs $872 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,823 per month in Falmouth vs $1,337 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,475 per month in Falmouth vs $1,802 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Falmouth costs about 34% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Falmouth and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Falmouth 13% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.24 JMD 1,146

$2.01 ฿64.5

260.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 JMD 9,942

$18.23 ฿584

244.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.99 JMD 1,423

$7.65 ฿245

17.52%

Cappuccino

$4.23 JMD 669

$1.92 ฿61.5

120.31%

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

$1.31 JMD 208

$0.84 ฿26.96

55.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 111

$0.36 ฿11.42

94.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 JMD 407

$2.19 ฿70.2

17.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 JMD 492

$3.79 ฿121

-17.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.28 JMD 678

$1.64 ฿52.5

160.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 JMD 548

$1.62 ฿51.9

113.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 JMD 247

$1.15 ฿36.96

35.65%

Eggs

$3.52 JMD 558

$1.94 ฿62.1

81.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 JMD 1,765

$15.94 ฿511

-30.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 JMD 978

$3.10 ฿99.4

99.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 JMD 1,219

$11.07 ฿355

-30.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 JMD 958

$2.71 ฿86.7

123.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 JMD 492

$1.18 ฿37.77

163.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 JMD 662

$1.71 ฿54.6

144.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.93 JMD 464

$1.61 ฿51.4

81.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 JMD 323

$1.39 ฿44.63

46.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 JMD 310

$1.15 ฿36.78

70.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 JMD 486

$0.71 ฿22.81

332.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 JMD 226

$0.55 ฿17.63

160.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.74 JMD 1,383

$4.57 ฿146

91.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.34 JMD 1,794

$18.87 ฿605

-39.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 444

$1.82 ฿58.3

53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 JMD 489

$3.21 ฿103

-3.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.89 ฿605

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 JMD 170

$1.41 ฿45.27

-23.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 JMD 498

$1.30 ฿41.68

142.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 JMD 1,004

$8.20 ฿263

-22.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 JMD 197

$1.23 ฿39.27

1.63%

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

$43.1K JMD 6.8M

$21.2K ฿678.5K

103.33%

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

$33.3K JMD 5.3M

$22.3K ฿714.9K

49.33%

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

$164 JMD 25.9K

$69.9 ฿2,239

134.32%

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

$22.25 JMD 3,522

$14.07 ฿451

58.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 JMD 8,050

$17.70 ฿567

187.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.50 JMD 4,510

$41.41 ฿1,327

-31.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 ฿214

Cinema Ticket

$13.25 JMD 2,097

$5.74 ฿184

130.84%

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

$228 JMD 36.1K

$299 ฿9,587

-23.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,437 JMD 385.8K

$15.0K ฿480.9K

-83.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.16 JMD 4,141

$54.8 ฿1,756

-52.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.30 JMD 4,004

$26.35 ฿844

-3.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 JMD 11.4K

$84.7 ฿2,712

-15.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.2 JMD 12.1K

$69.7 ฿2,234

9.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$309 JMD 48.9K

$427 ฿13.7K

-27.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 JMD 39.0K

$241 ฿7,713

2.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$528 JMD 83.6K

$811 ฿26.0K

-34.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 JMD 74.2K

$498 ฿16.0K

-5.99%

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 Falmouth: April 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $309 in Falmouth 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 $63 in Falmouth versus $18 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $348 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

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

Falmouth costs about 34% 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 $1,756 per month in Falmouth and $1,308 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Falmouth 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 41% more in Falmouth, 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 $1,171 in Falmouth 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 $1,171 in Falmouth. 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, Falmouth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.