Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand Bay and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,176 in Grand Bay, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Grand Bay
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Grand Bay Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Grand Bay

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$1,176

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,176 per month in Grand Bay vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Grand Bay $1,176
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,245 per month in Grand Bay vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Grand Bay $2,245
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,314 per month in Grand Bay vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Grand Bay $3,314
Chiang Mai $1,979

Grand Bay costs about 26% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Grand Bay and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Grand Bay 14% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.90 MUR 280

$2.24 ฿75.7

163.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 MUR 3,066

$19.00 ฿642

240.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 MUR 346

$5.55 ฿188

31.53%

Cappuccino

$2.59 MUR 123

$1.67 ฿56.6

55.09%

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

$1.13 MUR 53.5

$0.64 ฿21.56

76.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 MUR 31.54

$0.31 ฿10.32

116.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 MUR 129

$2.36 ฿79.6

15.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 MUR 226

$3.66 ฿124

30.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MUR 67.6

$1.95 ฿65.8

-26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MUR 35.19

$1.44 ฿48.51

-48.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 MUR 54.8

$1.33 ฿45.07

-12.78%

Eggs

$2.31 MUR 109

$2.28 ฿77.1

1.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.96 MUR 994

$16.45 ฿556

27.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 MUR 297

$2.78 ฿94.0

125.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.74 MUR 1,031

$9.31 ฿314

133.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 MUR 89.7

$2.35 ฿79.5

-19.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 MUR 93.4

$0.97 ฿32.82

103.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 MUR 66.5

$1.60 ฿53.9

-12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 MUR 135

$1.50 ฿50.7

90.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 47.50

$1.28 ฿43.15

-21.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 MUR 45.63

$1.10 ฿37.22

-12.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 MUR 32.71

$0.71 ฿23.84

-2.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MUR 25.11

$0.49 ฿16.38

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 MUR 304

$4.14 ฿140

54.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.65 MUR 410

$17.52 ฿592

-50.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 MUR 77.6

$1.61 ฿54.5

1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 MUR 93.8

$2.78 ฿94.0

-28.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 MUR 49.67

$0.87 ฿29.33

20.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 MUR 203

$1.16 ฿39.08

268.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 MUR 116

$0.53 ฿17.82

362.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.15 MUR 1,003

$2.42 ฿81.8

773.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MUR 64.3

$1.45 ฿48.93

-6.21%

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

$34.9K MUR 1.7M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

65.77%

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

$37.6K MUR 1.8M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

39.70%

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

$45.94 MUR 2,178

$62.2 ฿2,100

-26.11%

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

$15.52 MUR 736

$12.17 ฿411

27.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.26 MUR 1,387

$20.12 ฿680

45.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 MUR 2,810

$37.31 ฿1,260

58.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MUR 303

$6.49 ฿219

-1.39%

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

$126 MUR 5,969

$736 ฿24.9K

-82.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,744 MUR 367.1K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-47.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 MUR 2,883

$53.4 ฿1,802

13.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.0 MUR 3,034

$24.64 ฿832

159.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MUR 5,022

$91.5 ฿3,089

15.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 MUR 4,206

$71.9 ฿2,429

23.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 MUR 28.2K

$482 ฿16.3K

23.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 MUR 20.8K

$309 ฿10.4K

42.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,038 MUR 96.6K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

102.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 MUR 69.2K

$633 ฿21.4K

130.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,281 MUR 60.7K

$590 ฿19.9K

117.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.72%

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

Last update for Grand Bay: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Grand Bay

$439 37.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 29.6% $130

Groceries & Markets

Grand Bay

$280 23.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 16.2% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Grand Bay

$144 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 24.4% $35

Eating Out

Grand Bay

$131 11.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 40.6% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grand Bay

$91 7.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 4.1% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Grand Bay

$72 6.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 30.2% $22

Getting Around

Grand Bay

$21 * 1.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 196% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $596 in Grand Bay versus $482 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 in Grand Bay are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Grand Bay versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $280 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇺 Grand Bay

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

20:52 8:52 PM

3 h ahead of Grand Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,900

127,240

💱 Currency

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MUR = 2.11 USD

100 MUR = 1.9 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MUR – Mauritian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇺 Mauritian Rupee (₨)

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 47.41 MUR (100 MUR = 2.11 USD). 1 EUR = 52.77 MUR (100 MUR = 1.9 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Grand Bay Chiang Mai 6,240 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Grand Bay
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

Grand Bay vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grand Bay costs about 26% 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 $1,764 per month in Grand Bay and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $596 in Grand Bay.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Grand Bay and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Grand Bay, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,176 in Grand Bay and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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, Grand Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.