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 $2,253 per month in Forbes vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,312 per month in Forbes vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,370 per month in Forbes vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Forbes costs about 164% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Forbes sits 68% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.01 A$22.42

$1.96 ฿64.0

716.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 A$108

$18.81 ฿615

310.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 A$13.37

$7.92 ฿259

20.58%

Cappuccino

$3.38 A$4.74

$1.91 ฿62.6

76.96%

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

$2.61 A$3.66

$0.84 ฿27.41

210.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.04

$0.35 ฿11.51

520.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 A$9.13

$2.21 ฿72.1

195.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 A$9.70

$3.80 ฿124

82.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 A$1.98

$1.64 ฿53.5

-13.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 A$3.40

$1.62 ฿53.1

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 A$2.77

$1.18 ฿38.62

67.80%

Eggs

$4.36 A$6.10

$2.01 ฿65.8

116.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.10

$15.89 ฿520

-45.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 A$12.06

$3.01 ฿98.5

186.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 A$19.24

$10.77 ฿352

27.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.53

$2.61 ฿85.5

24.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.93

$1.22 ฿39.88

130.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.13

$1.70 ฿55.7

73.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.70

$1.58 ฿51.5

157.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.34

$1.32 ฿43.14

81.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.94

$1.17 ฿38.23

79.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 A$2.95

$0.67 ฿21.98

214.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.14

$0.56 ฿18.32

173.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.13 A$43.59

$4.53 ฿148

587.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 A$18.87

$18.20 ฿595

-25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.48 A$6.27

$1.83 ฿60.0

144.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.32

$3.23 ฿106

61.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 A$3.67

$0.89 ฿29.00

194.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 A$89.7

$19.38 ฿634

230.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.95

$1.35 ฿44.20

162.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 A$2.15

$1.35 ฿44.05

13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 A$46.54

$8.25 ฿270

302.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.58

$1.27 ฿41.64

-11.02%

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

$28.6K A$40.1K

$21.2K ฿691.8K

35.27%

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

$22.3K A$31.2K

$22.5K ฿735.3K

-0.85%

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

$186 A$260

$70.2 ฿2,294

165.10%

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

$27.73 A$38.83

$13.77 ฿450

101.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 A$74.5

$17.60 ฿575

202.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.41 A$69.2

$41.57 ฿1,360

18.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.48 A$21.68

$6.60 ฿216

134.55%

Cinema Ticket

$13.18 A$18.45

$5.78 ฿189

128.03%

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

$1,600 A$2,240

$306 ฿10.0K

422.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K A$16.6K

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-20.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 A$95.0

$54.4 ฿1,778

24.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$71.7

$26.14 ฿855

95.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 A$137

$84.5 ฿2,764

15.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$151

$69.4 ฿2,270

54.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 A$1,789

$424 ฿13.9K

201.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 A$1,499

$238 ฿7,788

349.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 A$2,836

$825 ฿27.0K

145.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 A$2,352

$515 ฿16.8K

226.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,262 A$8,767

$2,049 ฿67.0K

205.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,125 A$7,175

$1,523 ฿49.8K

236.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,278 in Forbes versus $424 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 $77.0 in Forbes versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $243 – 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 164% 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 $3,380 per month in Forbes and $1,278 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 $1,600 per month in Forbes and $306 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% 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 $852, than in Forbes at $2,253. 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 $852 versus $2,253 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.