Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Levin and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,859 in Levin, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Levin
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Levin Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Levin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,859

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,859 per month in Levin vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Levin $1,859
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,784 per month in Levin vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Levin $2,784
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $3,710 per month in Levin vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Levin $3,710
Chiang Mai $1,914

Levin costs about 98% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Levin sits 38% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.55 NZ$23.97

$2.26 ฿75.4

499.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 NZ$115

$19.18 ฿641

238.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 NZ$15.72

$5.59 ฿187

59.03%

Cappuccino

$2.87 NZ$5.08

$1.72 ฿57.6

66.86%

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

$2.46 NZ$4.35

$0.64 ฿21.54

284.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 NZ$2.93

$0.33 ฿11.18

403.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 NZ$12.54

$2.36 ฿78.7

200.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 NZ$11.63

$3.90 ฿130

68.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 NZ$3.28

$2.05 ฿68.6

-9.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 NZ$1.60

$1.40 ฿46.70

-35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 NZ$3.05

$1.28 ฿42.89

34.37%

Eggs

$6.99 NZ$12.37

$2.25 ฿75.3

210.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 NZ$11.27

$16.94 ฿566

-62.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 NZ$12.38

$2.74 ฿91.6

155.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 NZ$16.73

$9.36 ฿313

1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 NZ$2.95

$2.40 ฿80.3

-30.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$1.01 ฿33.92

111.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NZ$5.29

$1.61 ฿53.9

85.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$3.09

$1.52 ฿50.7

15.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.36

$1.28 ฿42.90

48.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.17

$1.11 ฿37.22

10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 NZ$3.30

$0.72 ฿24.09

158.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 NZ$0.94

$0.52 ฿17.54

1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.98 NZ$31.80

$4.33 ฿145

315.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 NZ$20.10

$17.73 ฿593

-35.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 NZ$5.69

$1.63 ฿54.4

97.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NZ$4.91

$2.85 ฿95.3

-2.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 NZ$3.04

$0.85 ฿28.31

102.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.0 NZ$143

$53.9 ฿1,801

50.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 NZ$3.28

$1.17 ฿39.18

58.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 NZ$3.11

$0.57 ฿19.00

208.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 NZ$58.4

$2.37 ฿79.2

1294.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 NZ$2.82

$1.45 ฿48.32

10.34%

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

$25.5K NZ$45.1K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

24.46%

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

$24.9K NZ$44.1K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-5.97%

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

$198 NZ$349

$62.3 ฿2,083

216.88%

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

$21.86 NZ$38.65

$12.27 ฿410

78.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 NZ$92.6

$19.97 ฿668

162.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.09 NZ$67.4

$37.91 ฿1,267

0.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$10.01 NZ$17.70

$6.71 ฿224

49.18%

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

$1,036 NZ$1,832

$797 ฿26.6K

29.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NZ$23.1K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-12.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.7 NZ$136

$53.3 ฿1,780

44.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.97 NZ$38.85

$25.05 ฿837

-12.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.0 NZ$90.2

$91.6 ฿3,062

-44.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 NZ$200

$73.5 ฿2,455

54.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$993 NZ$1,756

$464 ฿15.5K

114.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 NZ$1,457

$305 ฿10.2K

170.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 NZ$2,109

$915 ฿30.6K

30.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 NZ$2,587

$552 ฿18.5K

164.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,974 NZ$8,796

$1,912 ฿63.9K

160.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,415 NZ$6,039

$1,438 ฿48.1K

137.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.57

-3.23%

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

Last update for Levin: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Levin

$824 44.3%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 63% $519

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Levin

$272 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 65.2% $177

Groceries & Markets

Levin

$253 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 6% $15

Eating Out

Levin

$235 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 66.3% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Levin

$118 6.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 7.4% $8.8

Getting Around

Levin

$99 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 37.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Levin

$58 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 11.6% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $993 in Levin versus $464 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 $65.0 in Levin versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Levin

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:15 1:15 PM

07:15 7:15 AM

6 h behind Levin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,800

127,240

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Levin Chiang Mai 10,260 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Levin
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

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

Levin costs about 98% 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 $2,788 per month in Levin and $1,408 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 $1,036 per month in Levin and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Levin, 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 $938, than in Levin at $1,859. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Levin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,859 in Levin. 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, Levin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.