Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Georgetown and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,643 in Georgetown, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Georgetown
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Georgetown Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Georgetown

🇬🇾 Guyana

$1,643

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,643 per month in Georgetown vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Georgetown $1,643
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,771 per month in Georgetown vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Georgetown $2,771
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $3,899 per month in Georgetown vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Georgetown $3,899
Chiang Mai $1,914

Georgetown costs about 75% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Georgetown sits 22% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 GYD 3,797

$2.26 ฿75.4

707.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 GYD 14.8K

$19.18 ฿641

271.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.19 GYD 1,911

$5.59 ฿187

64.40%

Cappuccino

$5.71 GYD 1,188

$1.72 ฿57.6

231.98%

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

$1.21 GYD 252

$0.64 ฿21.54

89.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 GYD 126

$0.33 ฿11.18

84.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 GYD 406

$2.36 ฿78.7

-17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 GYD 680

$3.90 ฿130

-16.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.56 GYD 741

$2.05 ฿68.6

73.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 GYD 432

$1.40 ฿46.70

48.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 GYD 430

$1.28 ฿42.89

61.72%

Eggs

$3.94 GYD 819

$2.25 ฿75.3

75.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.16 GYD 3,152

$16.94 ฿566

-10.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.01 GYD 1,458

$2.74 ฿91.6

155.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.91 GYD 1,853

$9.36 ฿313

-4.81%

Apples (1kg)

$8.17 GYD 1,699

$2.40 ฿80.3

240.42%

Banana (1kg)

$4.04 GYD 840

$1.01 ฿33.92

300.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 GYD 844

$1.61 ฿53.9

152.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.15 GYD 1,487

$1.52 ฿50.7

370.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 GYD 508

$1.28 ฿42.90

91.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 GYD 639

$1.11 ฿37.22

177.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.14 GYD 653

$0.72 ฿24.09

336.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 GYD 332

$0.52 ฿17.54

207.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.43 GYD 713

$4.33 ฿145

-20.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.72 GYD 3,476

$17.73 ฿593

-5.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 GYD 380

$1.63 ฿54.4

12.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 GYD 529

$2.85 ฿95.3

-10.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 GYD 121

$0.85 ฿28.31

-31.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 GYD 12.8K

$53.9 ฿1,801

14.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.27 GYD 888

$1.17 ฿39.18

264.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 GYD 485

$0.57 ฿19.00

308.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.90 GYD 2,473

$2.37 ฿79.2

402.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 GYD 223

$1.45 ฿48.32

-26.21%

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

$27.1K GYD 5.6M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

32.33%

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

$22.5K GYD 4.7M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-15.05%

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

$120 GYD 24.9K

$62.3 ฿2,083

92.25%

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

$21.78 GYD 4,527

$12.27 ฿410

77.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.50 GYD 9,251

$19.97 ฿668

122.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.71 GYD 7,840

$37.91 ฿1,267

-0.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.08 GYD 3,135

$3.76 ฿126

301.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.04 GYD 1,256

$6.71 ฿224

-9.99%

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

$1,009 GYD 209.9K

$797 ฿26.6K

26.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K GYD 3.9M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

27.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.95 GYD 7,889

$53.3 ฿1,780

-28.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.02 GYD 8,528

$25.05 ฿837

63.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 GYD 27.7K

$91.6 ฿3,062

45.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 GYD 17.8K

$73.5 ฿2,455

16.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 GYD 199.1K

$464 ฿15.5K

106.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 GYD 110.1K

$305 ฿10.2K

73.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,344 GYD 695.3K

$915 ฿30.6K

265.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 GYD 267.7K

$552 ฿18.5K

133.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 GYD 747.6K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

88.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 GYD 324.2K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

8.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$520 GYD 108.2K

$595 ฿19.9K

-12.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

5.57

24.60%

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

Last update for Georgetown: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Georgetown

$530 32.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 42.5% $225

Groceries & Markets

Georgetown

$398 24.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 40.2% $160

Eating Out

Georgetown

$266 16.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 70.3% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Georgetown

$186 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 49.2% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Georgetown

$134 8.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 18.3% $25

Getting Around

Georgetown

$80 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 23.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Georgetown

$50 3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 3.1% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $958 in Georgetown versus $464 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 run about 14% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Georgetown versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇾 Georgetown

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

19:25 7:25 PM

06:25 6:25 AM

11 h ahead of Georgetown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

310,320 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Guyanese Dollar GYD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 GYD = 4.81 USD

1,000 GYD = 4.28 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to GYD – Guyanese Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇾 Guyanese Dollar ($)

Guyanese Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 208 GYD (1,000 GYD = 4.81 USD). 1 EUR = 234 GYD (1,000 GYD = 4.28 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to GYD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Georgetown Chiang Mai 16,220 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Georgetown
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

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

Georgetown costs about 75% 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 $2,464 per month in Georgetown and $1,408 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 $1,009 per month in Georgetown and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 67% more in Georgetown, 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 $938, than in Georgetown at $1,643. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Georgetown it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,643 in Georgetown. 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, Georgetown makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.