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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,273 per month in Forbes vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,310 per month in Forbes vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,347 per month in Forbes vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Forbes costs about 162% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Forbes sits 69% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.30 A$23.02

$1.98 ฿64.3

723.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 A$112

$18.80 ฿612

322.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 A$13.91

$7.75 ฿252

26.97%

Cappuccino

$3.39 A$4.79

$1.92 ฿62.5

76.56%

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

$2.53 A$3.58

$0.79 ฿25.79

220.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$3.01

$0.36 ฿11.62

491.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.37

$2.21 ฿72.1

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 A$10.30

$3.66 ฿119

99.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.09

$1.65 ฿53.8

-10.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 A$3.43

$1.63 ฿53.2

49.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 A$2.86

$1.19 ฿38.86

70.59%

Eggs

$4.27 A$6.03

$2.00 ฿65.1

113.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 A$11.97

$15.98 ฿520

-47.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.30 A$11.73

$3.03 ฿98.5

173.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 A$19.47

$10.86 ฿354

26.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.70

$2.76 ฿90.0

20.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 A$3.99

$1.18 ฿38.42

138.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 A$4.15

$1.64 ฿53.5

79.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.64

$1.52 ฿49.51

162.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.38

$1.38 ฿45.10

73.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.06

$1.19 ฿38.84

81.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 A$2.96

$0.70 ฿22.86

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.16

$0.56 ฿18.13

173.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.58 A$43.20

$4.58 ฿149

567.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 A$20.93

$16.56 ฿539

-10.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.63 A$6.54

$1.83 ฿59.5

153.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 A$7.68

$3.20 ฿104

70.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 A$3.71

$0.88 ฿28.56

197.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 A$90.8

$18.72 ฿610

243.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 A$5.18

$1.36 ฿44.16

169.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.21

$1.34 ฿43.65

16.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.96 A$47.99

$7.84 ฿256

333.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.60

$1.23 ฿39.92

-8.13%

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

$29.3K A$41.4K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

35.47%

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

$22.9K A$32.3K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

1.40%

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

$185 A$262

$70.5 ฿2,298

162.89%

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

$27.92 A$39.45

$13.68 ฿445

104.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 A$75.5

$17.45 ฿568

206.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.93 A$67.7

$41.33 ฿1,346

15.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.90 A$22.47

$6.96 ฿227

128.45%

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 A$18.50

$5.77 ฿188

126.86%

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

$1,648 A$2,328

$307 ฿10.0K

436.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K A$17.3K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-16.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 A$94.4

$55.8 ฿1,817

19.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.78 A$70.3

$26.21 ฿854

89.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 A$138

$85.8 ฿2,793

14.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$152

$72.2 ฿2,353

49.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 A$1,811

$430 ฿14.0K

198.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 A$1,530

$239 ฿7,774

353.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 A$2,841

$817 ฿26.6K

146.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 A$2,416

$511 ฿16.6K

234.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,284 A$8,879

$1,983 ฿64.6K

216.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,056 A$7,144

$1,484 ฿48.3K

240.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

26.80%

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

Last update for Forbes: June 8, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,282 in Forbes versus $430 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 $79.0 in Forbes versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 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

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

Forbes costs about 162% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $3,410 per month in Forbes and $1,303 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,648 per month in Forbes and $307 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Forbes, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $869, than in Forbes at $2,273. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Forbes it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $869 versus $2,273 in Forbes. 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, Forbes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.