Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton, New Zealand and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,917 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Hamilton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,917

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,917 per month in Hamilton vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Hamilton $1,917
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Hamilton vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Hamilton $2,828
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,739 per month in Hamilton vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Hamilton $3,739
Chiang Mai $1,979

Hamilton costs about 105% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hamilton sits 41% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 NZ$21.74

$2.24 ฿75.7

444.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 NZ$133

$19.00 ฿642

292.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 NZ$14.86

$5.55 ฿188

50.27%

Cappuccino

$3.49 NZ$6.22

$1.67 ฿56.6

108.98%

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

$2.31 NZ$4.12

$0.64 ฿21.56

260.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 NZ$4.46

$0.31 ฿10.32

706.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 NZ$10.83

$2.36 ฿79.6

157.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 NZ$10.00

$3.66 ฿124

53.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 NZ$2.60

$1.95 ฿65.8

-25.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 NZ$2.23

$1.44 ฿48.51

-13.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 NZ$3.45

$1.33 ฿45.07

45.86%

Eggs

$5.52 NZ$9.83

$2.28 ฿77.1

142.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.78 NZ$10.30

$16.45 ฿556

-64.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.18 NZ$12.80

$2.78 ฿94.0

158.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 NZ$20.85

$9.31 ฿314

25.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 NZ$4.82

$2.35 ฿79.5

15.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 NZ$4.12

$0.97 ฿32.82

138.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 NZ$5.78

$1.60 ฿53.9

102.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.21 NZ$11.06

$1.50 ฿50.7

314.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NZ$3.65

$1.28 ฿43.15

60.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 NZ$2.52

$1.10 ฿37.22

28.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 NZ$4.43

$0.71 ฿23.84

250.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 NZ$1.75

$0.49 ฿16.38

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.19 NZ$46.68

$4.14 ฿140

532.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.72 NZ$19.11

$17.52 ฿592

-38.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.02 NZ$7.17

$1.61 ฿54.5

149.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 NZ$7.38

$2.78 ฿94.0

48.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 NZ$4.74

$0.87 ฿29.33

205.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.7 NZ$93.8

$54.1 ฿1,827

-2.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 NZ$6.59

$1.16 ฿39.08

218.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.97

$1.45 ฿48.93

15.17%

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

$28.2K NZ$50.3K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

33.99%

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

$22.4K NZ$39.8K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-17.04%

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

$58.3 NZ$104

$62.2 ฿2,100

-6.29%

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

$36.48 NZ$65.0

$12.17 ฿411

199.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 NZ$98.9

$20.12 ฿680

175.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.73 NZ$45.86

$37.31 ฿1,260

-31.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.98 NZ$51.6

$3.77 ฿127

668.70%

Cinema Ticket

$13.93 NZ$24.83

$6.49 ฿219

114.64%

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

$670 NZ$1,195

$736 ฿24.9K

-8.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K NZ$40.0K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

52.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 NZ$113

$53.4 ฿1,802

19.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.93 NZ$69.4

$24.64 ฿832

58.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 NZ$169

$91.5 ฿3,089

3.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 NZ$190

$71.9 ฿2,429

48.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 NZ$1,942

$482 ฿16.3K

125.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$987 NZ$1,759

$309 ฿10.4K

219.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 NZ$2,915

$1,006 ฿34.0K

62.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 NZ$2,631

$633 ฿21.4K

133.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,019 NZ$7,163

$2,363 ฿79.8K

70.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 NZ$8,064

$1,589 ฿53.7K

184.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,678 NZ$4,773

$590 ฿19.9K

354.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

5.57

22.62%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$987 51.5%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 68.7% $678

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$297 15.5%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 21.2% $63

Eating Out

Hamilton

$225 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 65.6% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$150 7.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 37.1% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$137 7.1%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 20.5% $28

Getting Around

Hamilton

$67 * 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 8.4% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$54 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 6.2% $3.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,090 in Hamilton 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 Hamilton are about 4.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Hamilton versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Hamilton

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:08 3:08 AM

21:08 9:08 PM

6 h behind Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

169,500

127,240

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 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 NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Hamilton Chiang Mai 10,140 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
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

Hamilton vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton costs about 105% 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 $2,876 per month in Hamilton 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 $1,090 in Hamilton.

Kindergarten costs $670 per month in Hamilton and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Hamilton, 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 $1,917 in Hamilton and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,917 in Hamilton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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