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 $889 per month in Golden Grove vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,444 per month in Golden Grove vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,998 per month in Golden Grove vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Golden Grove costs about 4% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Golden Grove and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Golden Grove 34% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 JMD 1,199

$1.96 ฿63.6

288.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.1 JMD 9,941

$18.81 ฿611

235.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 JMD 1,420

$7.92 ฿258

13.89%

Cappuccino

$4.43 JMD 698

$1.91 ฿62.2

131.94%

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

$1.36 JMD 214

$0.84 ฿27.25

61.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 117

$0.35 ฿11.44

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 JMD 403

$2.21 ฿71.7

15.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 JMD 498

$3.80 ฿124

-16.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.35 JMD 684

$1.64 ฿53.2

165.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 JMD 553

$1.62 ฿52.8

116.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 253

$1.18 ฿38.40

35.59%

Eggs

$3.58 JMD 563

$2.01 ฿65.4

78.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 JMD 1,764

$15.89 ฿517

-29.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 JMD 992

$3.01 ฿98.0

109.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 JMD 1,224

$10.77 ฿350

-27.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.86 JMD 922

$2.61 ฿85.0

124.52%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 JMD 496

$1.22 ฿39.65

158.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 JMD 670

$1.70 ฿55.4

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.93 JMD 462

$1.58 ฿51.2

85.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 319

$1.32 ฿42.89

53.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 305

$1.17 ฿38.01

64.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.10 JMD 488

$0.67 ฿21.85

362.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 JMD 57.6

$0.56 ฿18.21

-33.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.69 JMD 1,369

$4.53 ฿147

91.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.17 JMD 1,759

$18.20 ฿592

-38.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 JMD 448

$1.83 ฿59.6

55.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 504

$3.23 ฿105

-0.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿28.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿630

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 177

$1.35 ฿43.95

-17.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 JMD 505

$1.35 ฿43.79

137.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 JMD 1,008

$8.25 ฿268

-22.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 JMD 197

$1.27 ฿41.40

-1.57%

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

$43.0K JMD 6.8M

$21.2K ฿687.8K

103.14%

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

$33.5K JMD 5.3M

$22.5K ฿731.0K

49.15%

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

$164 JMD 25.8K

$70.2 ฿2,281

133.68%

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

$22.40 JMD 3,528

$13.77 ฿448

62.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 JMD 8,137

$17.60 ฿572

193.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,352

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿215

Cinema Ticket

$13.32 JMD 2,098

$5.78 ฿188

130.45%

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

$226 JMD 35.6K

$306 ฿9,953

-26.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,474 JMD 389.6K

$14.8K ฿482.0K

-83.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.39 JMD 4,156

$54.4 ฿1,768

-51.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.64 JMD 4,037

$26.14 ฿850

-1.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 JMD 11.1K

$84.5 ฿2,748

-16.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 JMD 11.8K

$69.4 ฿2,257

8.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,743

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿26.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿66.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.6K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 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 $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

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

Golden Grove costs about 4% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,334 per month in Golden Grove and $1,278 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Groceries cost about 39% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $889 in Golden Grove and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $889 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.