Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ikeja and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,392 in Ikeja, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ikeja outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Ikeja
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Ikeja Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ikeja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$2,392

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,392 per month in Ikeja vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ikeja $2,392
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $4,077 per month in Ikeja vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ikeja $4,077
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $5,762 per month in Ikeja vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ikeja $5,762
Chiang Mai $1,979

Ikeja costs about 156% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Ikeja sits 76% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$0.49 ₦663

$2.24 ฿75.7

-78.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.21 ₦15.0K

$19.00 ฿642

-41.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.56 ₦10.1K

$5.55 ฿188

36.22%

Cappuccino

$2.84 ₦3,802

$1.67 ฿56.6

70.06%

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

$0.14 ₦182

$0.64 ฿21.56

-78.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.07 ₦96.1

$0.31 ฿10.32

-77.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.29 ₦387

$2.36 ฿79.6

-87.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₦2,704

$3.66 ฿124

-44.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ₦960

$1.95 ฿65.8

-63.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 ₦1,027

$1.44 ฿48.51

-46.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 ₦1,692

$1.33 ฿45.07

-5.26%

Eggs

$2.25 ₦3,016

$2.28 ฿77.1

-1.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.59 ₦4,809

$16.45 ฿556

-78.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.81 ₦5,106

$2.78 ฿94.0

37.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.56 ₦6,110

$9.31 ฿314

-51.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₦2,252

$2.35 ฿79.5

-28.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 ₦1,775

$0.97 ฿32.82

36.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 ₦1,510

$1.60 ฿53.9

-29.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₦2,069

$1.50 ฿50.7

2.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ₦2,128

$1.28 ฿43.15

24.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ₦2,096

$1.10 ฿37.22

41.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 ₦1,122

$0.71 ฿23.84

18.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₦485

$0.49 ฿16.38

-26.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.59 ₦788

$4.14 ฿140

-85.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.36 ₦3,161

$17.52 ฿592

-86.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₦719

$1.61 ฿54.5

-66.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₦671

$2.78 ฿94.0

-82.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 ₦126

$0.87 ฿29.33

-89.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.33 ₦4,468

$54.1 ฿1,827

-93.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₦938

$1.16 ฿39.08

-39.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₦1,207

$0.53 ฿17.82

69.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 ₦2,923

$2.42 ฿81.8

-9.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.13 ₦176

$1.45 ฿48.93

-91.03%

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

$11.2K ₦15.0M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

-46.84%

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

$28.2K ₦37.8M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

4.79%

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

$110 ₦147.5K

$62.2 ฿2,100

77.00%

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

$14.51 ₦19.5K

$12.17 ฿411

19.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.25 ₦44.6K

$20.12 ฿680

65.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 ₦8,485

$6.49 ฿219

-2.47%

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

$667 ₦894.3K

$736 ฿24.9K

-9.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ₦26.1M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

31.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.51 ₦19.4K

$53.4 ฿1,802

-72.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.28 ₦24.5K

$24.64 ฿832

-25.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.38 ₦48.8K

$91.5 ฿3,089

-60.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.13 ₦64.5K

$71.9 ฿2,429

-33.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,483 ₦4.7M

$482 ฿16.3K

622.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 ₦2.6M

$309 ฿10.4K

537.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,383 ₦8.6M

$1,006 ฿34.0K

534.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,948 ₦6.6M

$633 ฿21.4K

681.08%

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)

$73.8 ₦98.9K

$590 ฿19.9K

-87.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

5.57

230.16%

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

Last update for Ikeja: 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

Ikeja

$2K 82.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 84.3% $1.7K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ikeja

$158 6.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 40.1% $63

Groceries & Markets

Ikeja

$125 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 87.6% $109

Eating Out

Ikeja

$67 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 15.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Ikeja

$53 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 106% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Ikeja

$13 * 0.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 297% $38

Getting Around

Ikeja

$8.9 0.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 589% $52

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,483 in Ikeja 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 Chiang Mai are about 8 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Ikeja versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $125 vs $234 – making Ikeja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Ikeja

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:19 11:19 AM

17:19 5:19 PM

6 h ahead of Ikeja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

861,300

127,240

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 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 NGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ikeja Chiang Mai 10,360 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Ikeja
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

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

Ikeja costs about 156% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,589 per month in Ikeja 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 $3,483 in Ikeja.

Kindergarten costs $667 per month in Ikeja and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 47% cheaper in Ikeja – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,392 in Ikeja 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 $2,392 in Ikeja. 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.