Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Freeport and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,659 in Freeport, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Freeport
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Freeport Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Freeport

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$2,659

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,659 per month in Freeport vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Freeport $2,659
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $4,307 per month in Freeport vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Freeport $4,307
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $5,955 per month in Freeport vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Freeport $5,955
Chiang Mai $1,979

Freeport costs about 184% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Freeport sits 95% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$47.77 BSD 47.77

$2.24 ฿75.6

2032.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 BSD 98.9

$19.00 ฿641

420.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.68 BSD 12.68

$5.55 ฿187

128.47%

Cappuccino

$6.54 BSD 6.54

$1.67 ฿56.5

291.62%

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

$3.10 BSD 3.10

$0.64 ฿21.55

384.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 BSD 2.80

$0.31 ฿10.31

803.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 BSD 4.63

$2.36 ฿79.6

96.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 BSD 6.95

$3.66 ฿124

89.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 BSD 2.36

$1.95 ฿65.8

21.03%

White Bread (500g)

$5.52 BSD 5.52

$1.44 ฿48.48

283.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.46 BSD 8.46

$1.33 ฿45.04

536.09%

Eggs

$8.86 BSD 8.86

$2.28 ฿77.1

288.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.51 BSD 16.51

$16.45 ฿555

0.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 BSD 6.86

$2.78 ฿93.9

146.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 BSD 13.91

$9.31 ฿314

49.41%

Apples (1kg)

$10.31 BSD 10.31

$2.35 ฿79.4

338.72%

Banana (1kg)

$4.08 BSD 4.08

$0.97 ฿32.80

320.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.23 BSD 10.23

$1.60 ฿53.9

539.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$12.85 BSD 12.85

$1.50 ฿50.6

756.67%

Potato (1kg)

$4.62 BSD 4.62

$1.28 ฿43.12

260.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 BSD 2.53

$1.10 ฿37.19

130.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.28 BSD 4.28

$0.71 ฿23.82

502.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 BSD 3.32

$0.49 ฿16.37

577.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.23 BSD 15.23

$4.14 ฿140

267.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 BSD 20.33

$17.52 ฿591

16.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 BSD 4.58

$2.78 ฿94.0

64.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 BSD 1.77

$0.87 ฿29.31

103.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 BSD 2.93

$1.16 ฿39.06

152.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.92 BSD 2.92

$0.53 ฿17.80

450.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$101 BSD 101

$2.42 ฿81.8

4083.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 BSD 1.60

$1.45 ฿48.90

10.34%

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

$37.2K BSD 37.2K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

76.68%

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

$34.9K BSD 34.9K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

29.66%

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

$270 BSD 270

$62.2 ฿2,098

333.87%

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

$64.0 BSD 64.0

$12.17 ฿411

426.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 BSD 66.2

$20.12 ฿679

228.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 BSD 55.4

$37.31 ฿1,259

48.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.1 BSD 56.1

$3.77 ฿127

1387.80%

Cinema Ticket

$17.90 BSD 17.90

$6.49 ฿219

175.81%

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

$587 BSD 587

$736 ฿24.8K

-20.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,599 BSD 8,599

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-41.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.43 BSD 49.43

$53.4 ฿1,801

-7.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 BSD 92.0

$91.5 ฿3,087

0.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 BSD 69.7

$71.9 ฿2,428

-3.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 BSD 985

$482 ฿16.3K

104.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$908 BSD 908

$309 ฿10.4K

194.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,202 BSD 2,202

$1,006 ฿33.9K

118.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,971 BSD 1,971

$633 ฿21.4K

211.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,206 BSD 4,206

$2,363 ฿79.8K

77.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,354 BSD 3,354

$1,589 ฿53.6K

111.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,543 BSD 1,543

$590 ฿19.9K

161.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.72

5.57

128.37%

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

Last update for Freeport: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Freeport

$908 34.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 66% $599

Groceries & Markets

Freeport

$580 * 21.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 59.6% $346

Eating Out

Freeport

$559 21%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 86.1% $482

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Freeport

$400 15%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 76.4% $305

Clothing & Footwear

Freeport

$95 * 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 14.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Freeport

$91 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 44.9% $41

Getting Around

Freeport

$25 * 0.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 150% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Freeport versus $482 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 in Freeport are about 2.6 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Freeport versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $580 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇸 Freeport

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

19:13 7:13 PM

12 h ahead of Freeport

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,945

127,240

💱 Currency

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BSD – Bahamian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇸 Bahamian Dollar ($)

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BSD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Freeport Chiang Mai 14,970 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Freeport
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

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

Freeport costs about 184% 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 $3,988 per month in Freeport 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $985 in Freeport.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Freeport and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 148% more in Freeport, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,659 in Freeport and $936 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,659 in Freeport. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Freeport makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.