Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Francistown and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,034 in Francistown, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Francistown outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Francistown

🇧🇼 Botswana

$1,034

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Francistown vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Francistown $1,034
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $866 per month in Francistown vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Francistown $866
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $697 per month in Francistown vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Francistown $697
Chiang Mai $1,914

Francistown costs about 10% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Francistown and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Francistown 23% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 P 18.88

$2.36 ฿78.7

-40.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 P 16.51

$2.05 ฿68.6

-39.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 P 8.85

$1.40 ฿46.70

-52.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

Eggs

$1.87 P 24.97

$2.25 ฿75.3

-16.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 P 81.7

$2.74 ฿91.6

122.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.38 P 85.2

$9.36 ฿313

-31.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 P 14.84

$2.40 ฿80.3

-53.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 P 18.96

$1.01 ฿33.92

40.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 P 18.91

$1.61 ฿53.9

-11.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 P 18.26

$1.52 ฿50.7

-9.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 P 21.73

$1.28 ฿42.90

27.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 P 19.81

$1.11 ฿37.22

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 P 12.45

$0.72 ฿24.09

29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 P 10.46

$0.52 ฿17.54

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 P 71.9

$4.33 ฿145

24.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 P 19.71

$1.63 ฿54.4

-9.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 P 7.51

$0.85 ฿28.31

-34.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$12.27 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.39 P 393

$37.91 ฿1,267

-22.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

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

$107 P 1,434

$797 ฿26.6K

-86.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,770 P 23.7K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-88.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 P 789

$53.3 ฿1,780

10.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.81 P 438

$25.05 ฿837

30.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 P 1,440

$91.6 ฿3,062

17.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 P 1,436

$73.5 ฿2,455

46.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 P 9,705

$305 ฿10.2K

138.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 P 5,533

$915 ฿30.6K

-54.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Francistown: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Francistown

–

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Groceries & Markets

Francistown

–

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Francistown

–

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Francistown

–

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Eating Out

Francistown

–

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Getting Around

Francistown

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Francistown

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Good to know

🇧🇼 Francistown

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:44 9:44 AM

14:44 2:44 PM

5 h ahead of Francistown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,079

127,240

💱 Currency

Botswana Pula BWP P

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 BWP = 7.48 USD

100 BWP = 6.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BWP – Botswana Pula Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇼 Botswana Pula (P)

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 13.36 BWP (100 BWP = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 15.02 BWP (100 BWP = 6.66 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BWP in detail →

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Between locations

Francistown Chiang Mai 8,960 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Francistown
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

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

Francistown costs about 10% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,551 per month in Francistown and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,034 in Francistown and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 10%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 82% cheaper in Francistown – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Francistown at $1,034. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Francistown it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,034 in Francistown. 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, Francistown makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.