Cost of Living Comparison Between Gordon Town and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Gordon Town and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,020 per month in Gordon Town vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,708 per month in Gordon Town vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,396 per month in Gordon Town vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gordon Town costs about 8% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Gordon Town and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Gordon Town 26% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.85 JMD 2,498

$2.08 ฿69.2

662.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 JMD 12.0K

$19.64 ฿651

286.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 JMD 1,412

$5.65 ฿188

58.58%

Cappuccino

$5.28 JMD 832

$1.81 ฿59.9

191.71%

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

$1.20 JMD 189

$0.71 ฿23.66

69.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 108

$0.32 ฿10.48

115.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 JMD 344

$2.24 ฿74.2

-2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 JMD 491

$3.63 ฿121

-14.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.20 JMD 661

$1.96 ฿65.0

114.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 JMD 609

$1.50 ฿49.83

157.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 JMD 246

$1.34 ฿44.32

16.42%

Eggs

$3.56 JMD 561

$2.26 ฿75.1

57.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.66 JMD 1,837

$16.26 ฿539

-28.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 JMD 1,000

$2.95 ฿98.0

115.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.46 JMD 1,649

$9.94 ฿330

5.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.97 JMD 940

$2.57 ฿85.3

132.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.93 JMD 619

$1.06 ฿35.04

270.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.25 JMD 1,143

$1.61 ฿53.5

350.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 JMD 485

$1.52 ฿50.4

102.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 JMD 499

$1.27 ฿42.14

149.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 JMD 411

$1.07 ฿35.37

143.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 475

$0.72 ฿23.89

318.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 JMD 237

$0.51 ฿16.87

196.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.71 JMD 1,529

$4.19 ฿139

131.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.24 JMD 1,771

$17.87 ฿593

-37.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 JMD 460

$1.69 ฿56.2

72.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 JMD 632

$2.84 ฿94.1

41.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.70

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,787

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 JMD 187

$1.23 ฿40.95

-3.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 JMD 486

$0.58 ฿19.13

431.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 JMD 1,022

$2.42 ฿80.4

168.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 JMD 223

$1.41 ฿46.84

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

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

$21.4K ฿711.3K

106.42%

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

$32.6K JMD 5.1M

$27.3K ฿906.7K

19.12%

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

$176 JMD 27.7K

$63.7 ฿2,112

176.35%

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

$29.03 JMD 4,574

$12.85 ฿426

125.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 JMD 8,363

$20.22 ฿671

162.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,285

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿132

Cinema Ticket

$13.33 JMD 2,100

$6.74 ฿223

97.77%

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

$362 JMD 57.1K

$778 ฿25.8K

-53.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,230 JMD 1.3M

$14.6K ฿484.6K

-43.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.86 JMD 3,760

$54.3 ฿1,801

-56.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.09 JMD 4,899

$25.45 ฿844

22.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 JMD 12.1K

$94.3 ฿3,129

-18.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$73.4 ฿2,436

39.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,596

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿49.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

5.57

69.66%

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

Last update for Gordon Town: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Gordon Town versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $240 – 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

Gordon Town vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gordon Town costs about 8% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,531 per month in Gordon Town and $1,421 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 $76.0 in Gordon Town and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Gordon Town, 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 $947, than in Gordon Town at $1,020. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gordon Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $947 versus $1,020 in Gordon Town. 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, Gordon Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.