Cost of Living Comparison Between Golden Grove and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Golden Grove and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $870 per month in Golden Grove vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,430 per month in Golden Grove vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,990 per month in Golden Grove vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Golden Grove and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Golden Grove and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Golden Grove 35% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.60 JMD 1,195

$1.98 ฿64.3

283.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 JMD 9,874

$18.80 ฿612

233.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 JMD 1,410

$7.75 ฿252

15.61%

Cappuccino

$4.45 JMD 700

$1.92 ฿62.5

131.77%

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

$1.33 JMD 209

$0.79 ฿25.79

68.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 118

$0.36 ฿11.62

108.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 JMD 385

$2.21 ฿72.1

10.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 JMD 482

$3.66 ฿119

-16.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.18 JMD 658

$1.65 ฿53.8

153.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 JMD 573

$1.63 ฿53.2

123.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 252

$1.19 ฿38.86

34.45%

Eggs

$3.43 JMD 539

$2.00 ฿65.1

71.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 JMD 1,755

$15.98 ฿520

-30.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 JMD 975

$3.03 ฿98.5

104.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.79 JMD 1,225

$10.86 ฿354

-28.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.03 JMD 948

$2.76 ฿90.0

118.48%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 JMD 489

$1.18 ฿38.42

163.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 JMD 651

$1.64 ฿53.5

152.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 JMD 477

$1.52 ฿49.51

99.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 JMD 331

$1.38 ฿45.10

52.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$1.19 ฿38.84

62.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 JMD 484

$0.70 ฿22.86

340.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 JMD 57.1

$0.56 ฿18.13

-35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 JMD 1,418

$4.58 ฿149

96.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 JMD 1,763

$16.56 ฿539

-32.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 456

$1.83 ฿59.5

58.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 JMD 487

$3.20 ฿104

-3.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 JMD 169

$1.36 ฿44.16

-21.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 JMD 508

$1.34 ฿43.65

141.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 JMD 1,006

$7.84 ฿256

-18.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 JMD 195

$1.23 ฿39.92

0.81%

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

$42.2K JMD 6.6M

$21.6K ฿704.3K

95.08%

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

$33.6K JMD 5.3M

$22.5K ฿734.3K

49.04%

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

$166 JMD 26.2K

$70.5 ฿2,298

135.87%

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

$21.69 JMD 3,411

$13.68 ฿445

58.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 JMD 8,039

$17.45 ฿568

192.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 JMD 2,082

$5.77 ฿188

129.46%

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

$225 JMD 35.4K

$307 ฿10.0K

-26.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,444 JMD 384.3K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-83.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.83 JMD 4,062

$55.8 ฿1,817

-53.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.59 JMD 4,024

$26.21 ฿854

-2.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 JMD 11.0K

$85.8 ฿2,793

-18.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 JMD 12.1K

$72.2 ฿2,353

6.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

83.00%

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

Last update for Golden Grove: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Golden Grove versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 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

Golden Grove vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,305 per month in Golden Grove and $1,303 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Golden Grove, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Golden Grove and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $870 in Golden Grove and $869 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $869 versus $870 in Golden Grove. 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, Golden Grove makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.