Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kimberley and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,138 in Kimberley, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Kimberley
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Kimberley Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Kimberley

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,138

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Kimberley vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kimberley $1,138
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,907 per month in Kimberley vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kimberley $1,907
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,676 per month in Kimberley vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kimberley $2,676
Chiang Mai $1,903

Kimberley costs about 23% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kimberley and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Kimberley 16% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.12 R 200

$2.29 ฿76.5

429.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.35 R 599

$19.64 ฿656

85.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.22 R 103

$5.61 ฿188

10.87%

Cappuccino

$2.99 R 49.32

$1.66 ฿55.6

80.12%

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

$1.29 R 21.17

$0.70 ฿23.40

84.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 R 21.49

$0.31 ฿10.24

319.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 R 45.92

$2.41 ฿80.4

15.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 R 44.00

$3.71 ฿124

-28.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.50

$1.95 ฿65.3

-20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 R 19.03

$1.41 ฿47.03

-17.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 R 48.49

$1.31 ฿43.62

124.43%

Eggs

$2.91 R 48.01

$2.18 ฿72.9

33.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.52 R 107

$16.65 ฿556

-60.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.89 R 97.0

$2.76 ฿92.2

113.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.33 R 137

$9.11 ฿304

-8.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 R 38.64

$2.39 ฿80.0

-1.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 R 40.25

$1.03 ฿34.26

136.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.25

$1.63 ฿54.4

9.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 R 55.0

$1.50 ฿50.0

122.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.99

$1.29 ฿43.13

17.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 R 23.18

$1.11 ฿37.03

27.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 R 22.85

$0.72 ฿24.08

93.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 14.76

$0.53 ฿17.59

69.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 R 54.0

$4.31 ฿144

-23.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 R 108

$17.95 ฿600

-63.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 R 37.83

$1.58 ฿52.9

45.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 R 47.29

$2.84 ฿95.0

1.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 R 25.15

$0.86 ฿28.86

77.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.18 R 547

$53.3 ฿1,780

-37.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 R 9.55

$1.21 ฿40.29

-52.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 R 13.51

$0.57 ฿18.99

43.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.15 R 217

$2.35 ฿78.6

459.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 R 23.81

$1.44 ฿47.96

0.69%

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

$37.5K R 617.3K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

80.75%

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

$38.3K R 630.5K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

42.79%

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

$108 R 1,772

$62.3 ฿2,083

72.57%

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

$35.15 R 579

$12.11 ฿405

190.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.40 R 699

$19.94 ฿666

112.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.40 R 369

$37.07 ฿1,239

-39.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.56 R 174

$3.78 ฿126

179.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 R 118

$6.50 ฿217

10.15%

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

$242 R 3,981

$793 ฿26.5K

-69.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,107 R 100.6K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-58.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 R 897

$53.7 ฿1,796

1.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.14 R 497

$24.62 ฿823

22.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R 1,669

$90.9 ฿3,036

11.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 R 1,495

$71.1 ฿2,378

27.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 R 4,329

$455 ฿15.2K

-42.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 R 5,574

$298 ฿9,954

13.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 R 10.6K

$908 ฿30.4K

-29.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$928 R 15.3K

$554 ฿18.5K

67.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$806 R 13.3K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-58.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$619 R 10.2K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-57.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$949 R 15.6K

$591 ฿19.7K

60.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.57

96.41%

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

Last update for Kimberley: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kimberley

$338 29.7%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 12% $41

Groceries & Markets

Kimberley

$229 20.1%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 3% $6.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kimberley

$185 16.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 49% $91

Eating Out

Kimberley

$181 15.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 56.6% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Kimberley

$124 10.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 13.1% $16

Getting Around

Kimberley

$44 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 38.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Kimberley

$37 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 36.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $263 in Kimberley versus $455 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 run about 61% higher in Kimberley, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Kimberley versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $229 in Kimberley vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Kimberley wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Kimberley

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:24 3:24 PM

20:24 8:24 PM

5 h ahead of Kimberley

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

225,160

127,240

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

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Between locations

Kimberley Chiang Mai 9,560 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Kimberley
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

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

Kimberley costs about 23% 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 $1,708 per month in Kimberley and $1,388 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $242 per month in Kimberley and $793 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 3% cheaper in Kimberley – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Kimberley at $1,138. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kimberley it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,138 in Kimberley. 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, Kimberley makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.