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 $886 per month in Gordon Town vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,422 per month in Gordon Town vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,958 per month in Gordon Town vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gordon Town costs about 2% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Gordon Town and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Gordon Town 34% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 JMD 1,214

$1.94 ฿63.6

297.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 JMD 9,974

$18.64 ฿609

240.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.73 JMD 1,372

$7.82 ฿256

11.64%

Cappuccino

$4.39 JMD 691

$1.95 ฿63.9

125.13%

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

$1.37 JMD 215

$0.85 ฿27.80

61.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 110

$0.35 ฿11.60

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 JMD 403

$2.13 ฿69.7

20.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 JMD 479

$3.73 ฿122

-18.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.39 JMD 690

$1.71 ฿56.0

156.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 JMD 548

$1.63 ฿53.3

113.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 253

$1.14 ฿37.18

41.23%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 547

$1.93 ฿63.2

80.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.13 JMD 1,750

$16.21 ฿530

-31.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 JMD 1,027

$3.12 ฿102

109.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.45 JMD 1,171

$10.90 ฿356

-31.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.98 JMD 941

$2.75 ฿90.1

117.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 JMD 468

$1.21 ฿39.56

146.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 JMD 647

$1.62 ฿53.0

153.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 JMD 482

$1.59 ฿51.9

92.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 JMD 332

$1.40 ฿45.75

50.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 JMD 314

$1.17 ฿38.20

70.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 JMD 475

$0.66 ฿21.62

357.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 JMD 234

$0.53 ฿17.24

181.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.69 JMD 1,367

$4.69 ฿153

85.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 JMD 1,779

$18.66 ฿610

-39.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 440

$1.80 ฿58.8

55.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 JMD 486

$3.23 ฿106

-4.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 JMD 178

$1.41 ฿45.96

-19.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 JMD 487

$1.29 ฿42.16

140.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 JMD 1,007

$7.84 ฿256

-18.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 JMD 193

$1.27 ฿41.62

-3.15%

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

$42.2K JMD 6.6M

$21.3K ฿695.5K

98.20%

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

$33.7K JMD 5.3M

$22.2K ฿726.1K

51.69%

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

$163 JMD 25.6K

$69.1 ฿2,258

135.95%

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

$21.76 JMD 3,421

$14.08 ฿460

54.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 JMD 8,061

$18.00 ฿588

184.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$13.00 JMD 2,044

$5.92 ฿193

119.59%

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

$226 JMD 35.6K

$299 ฿9,775

-24.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,513 JMD 395.2K

$15.0K ฿488.8K

-83.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.73 JMD 4,046

$54.7 ฿1,788

-52.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.31 JMD 3,980

$26.77 ฿875

-5.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 JMD 11.0K

$85.0 ฿2,778

-17.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.2 JMD 11.8K

$70.6 ฿2,308

6.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿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 Gordon Town: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Gordon Town versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $246 – 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 2% 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 $1,329 per month in Gordon Town and $1,300 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 Gordon Town 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 42% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $886 in Gordon Town and $866 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $866 versus $886 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.