Cost of Living Comparison Between Green Island and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Green Island and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $875 per month in Green Island vs $872 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,445 per month in Green Island vs $1,337 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,014 per month in Green Island vs $1,802 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Green Island and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs — the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.65 JMD 1,211

$2.01 ฿64.5

280.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.1 JMD 9,978

$18.23 ฿584

245.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 JMD 1,409

$7.65 ฿245

16.34%

Cappuccino

$4.45 JMD 704

$1.92 ฿61.5

131.77%

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

$1.37 JMD 217

$0.84 ฿26.96

63.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 118

$0.36 ฿11.42

108.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 JMD 394

$2.19 ฿70.2

13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 JMD 499

$3.79 ฿121

-16.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.43 JMD 701

$1.64 ฿52.5

170.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 JMD 577

$1.62 ฿51.9

124.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 JMD 256

$1.15 ฿36.96

40.87%

Eggs

$3.44 JMD 544

$1.94 ฿62.1

77.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 JMD 1,764

$15.94 ฿511

-30.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 JMD 1,021

$3.10 ฿99.4

108.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.52 JMD 1,191

$11.07 ฿355

-32.07%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 JMD 959

$2.71 ฿86.7

123.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 JMD 482

$1.18 ฿37.77

158.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 JMD 678

$1.71 ฿54.6

150.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 JMD 466

$1.61 ฿51.4

83.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 JMD 321

$1.39 ฿44.63

46.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 JMD 308

$1.15 ฿36.78

69.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 JMD 485

$0.71 ฿22.81

330.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 228

$0.55 ฿17.63

161.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.55 JMD 1,354

$4.57 ฿146

87.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.58 JMD 1,833

$18.87 ฿605

-38.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 JMD 438

$1.82 ฿58.3

52.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 JMD 481

$3.21 ฿103

-5.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.89 ฿605

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 JMD 172

$1.41 ฿45.27

-22.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 JMD 515

$1.30 ฿41.68

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 JMD 966

$8.20 ฿263

-25.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 JMD 197

$1.23 ฿39.27

1.63%

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

$42.6K JMD 6.7M

$21.2K ฿678.5K

101.34%

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

$34.2K JMD 5.4M

$22.3K ฿714.9K

53.32%

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

$164 JMD 26.0K

$69.9 ฿2,239

134.71%

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

$22.48 JMD 3,558

$14.07 ฿451

59.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 JMD 7,947

$17.70 ฿567

183.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.41 ฿1,327

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 ฿214

Cinema Ticket

$13.13 JMD 2,078

$5.74 ฿184

128.75%

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

$228 JMD 36.2K

$299 ฿9,587

-23.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,498 JMD 395.4K

$15.0K ฿480.9K

-83.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.89 JMD 4,097

$54.8 ฿1,756

-52.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.22 JMD 3,992

$26.35 ฿844

-4.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 JMD 11.4K

$84.7 ฿2,712

-14.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 JMD 11.8K

$69.7 ฿2,234

7.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 ฿13.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ฿7,713

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 ฿64.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,524 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$639 ฿20.5K

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 Green Island: April 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $0 in Green Island versus $427 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Green Island versus $18 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 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

Green Island vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,313 per month in Green Island and $1,308 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Green Island, 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 Green Island and $18.00 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 $875 in Green Island and $872 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $872 versus $875 in Green Island. 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, Green Island makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.