Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koror and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,821 in Koror, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Koror
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Koror Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Koror

🇵🇼 Palau

$1,821

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,821 per month in Koror vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Koror $1,821
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,882 per month in Koror vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Koror $2,882
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,942 per month in Koror vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Koror $3,942
Chiang Mai $1,903

Koror costs about 97% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Koror sits 34% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.72 $13.72

$2.29 ฿76.5

499.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$19.64 ฿656

274.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 $10.13

$5.61 ฿188

80.57%

Cappuccino

$3.98 $3.98

$1.66 ฿55.6

139.76%

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

$1.40 $1.40

$0.70 ฿23.40

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

$0.31 ฿10.24

248.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.41 ฿80.4

-36.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.71 ฿124

-39.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.95 ฿65.3

36.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.41 ฿47.03

139.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.24 $0.24

$1.31 ฿43.62

-81.68%

Eggs

$6.56 $6.56

$2.18 ฿72.9

200.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 $10.12

$16.65 ฿556

-39.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.12 $14.12

$2.76 ฿92.2

411.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 $19.40

$9.11 ฿304

112.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.39 ฿80.0

125.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.03 ฿34.26

107.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$1.63 ฿54.4

235.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$16.29 $16.29

$1.50 ฿50.0

986.00%

Potato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$1.29 ฿43.13

253.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.11 ฿37.03

192.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.72 ฿24.08

176.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.53 ฿17.59

233.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.72 $14.72

$4.31 ฿144

241.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.09 $22.09

$17.95 ฿600

23.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.58 ฿52.9

116.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.84 ฿95.0

19.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.21 ฿40.29

108.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.35 ฿78.6

160.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.44 ฿47.96

37.50%

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

$17.8K $17.8K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

-14.24%

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

$14.8K $14.8K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-44.69%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$51.6 $51.6

$12.11 ฿405

325.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$196 $196

$19.94 ฿666

880.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.5 $81.5

$37.07 ฿1,239

119.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

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

$250 $250

$793 ฿26.5K

-68.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.2 $85.2

$53.7 ฿1,796

58.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.3 $64.3

$24.62 ฿823

161.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$193 $193

$90.9 ฿3,036

112.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 $197

$71.1 ฿2,378

177.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 $719

$455 ฿15.2K

57.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 $530

$298 ฿9,954

77.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 $2,185

$908 ฿30.4K

140.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 $960

$554 ฿18.5K

73.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$793 $793

$591 ฿19.7K

34.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Koror: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koror

$530 29.1%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 43.8% $232

Groceries & Markets

Koror

$507 27.9%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 53.6% $272

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koror

$247 * 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 61.8% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Koror

$243 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 55.5% $135

Eating Out

Koror

$210 11.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 62.6% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Koror

$82 * 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 38.6% $31

Getting Around

Koror

$2.5 * 0.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 2312% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Koror 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 34% higher in Koror, 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 $74.0 in Koror versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $507 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇼 Koror

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

08:46 8:46 AM

2 h behind Koror

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,000

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Koror Chiang Mai 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Koror
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

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

Koror costs about 97% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,732 per month in Koror 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Koror and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 115% more in Koror, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Koror at $1,821. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Koror it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,821 in Koror. 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, Koror makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.