Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Livingstone and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingstone: $199 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$199

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $199 per month in Livingstone vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Livingstone $199
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $367 per month in Livingstone vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Livingstone $367
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $535 per month in Livingstone vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Livingstone $535
Chiang Mai $1,979

Livingstone is about 79% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Livingstone and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Livingstone 85% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.57 ZMW 153

$2.24 ฿75.5

237.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.35 ZMW 613

$19.00 ฿640

59.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.72 ZMW 176

$5.55 ฿187

57.12%

Cappuccino

$4.88 ZMW 98.5

$1.67 ฿56.4

192.22%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ZMW 6.80

$0.31 ฿10.29

9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.6

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.39

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.96

Eggs

$2.28 ฿76.9

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.7

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.05

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.13

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.78

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ZMW 401

$17.52 ฿590

13.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.26

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,822

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿38.99

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 ZMW 50.1

$0.53 ฿17.77

367.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.81

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

$21.1K ฿709.5K

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

$26.9K ฿907.7K

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

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

$12.17 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,798

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,082

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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 Livingstone: 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

Livingstone

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Livingstone

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Livingstone

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Livingstone

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Livingstone

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Livingstone

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Livingstone

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Livingstone versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $40 in Livingstone vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Livingstone wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

5 h ahead of Livingstone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,897

127,240

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 4.95 USD

100 ZMW = 4.44 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ZMW – Zambian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 20.19 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.95 USD). 1 EUR = 22.5 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.44 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 33.69 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Livingstone Chiang Mai 8,970 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Livingstone
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 371% more than Livingstone, 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 $298 per month in Livingstone and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $199 in Livingstone and $936 in Chiang Mai. That makes Livingstone about 79% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 489% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $199 in Livingstone and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $199 in Livingstone to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.