Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lome and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $560 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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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Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$560

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $560 per month in Lome vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lome $560
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $992 per month in Lome vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lome $992
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,424 per month in Lome vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lome $1,424
Chiang Mai $1,979

Lome is about 40% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lome and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Lome 59% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 F CFA 1,683

$2.24 ฿75.7

27.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.57 F CFA 18.0K

$19.00 ฿642

60.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 F CFA 3,250

$5.55 ฿188

-0.54%

Cappuccino

$5.74 F CFA 3,382

$1.67 ฿56.6

243.71%

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

$4.14 F CFA 2,436

$0.64 ฿21.56

546.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 F CFA 445

$0.31 ฿10.32

141.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.90 F CFA 527

$2.36 ฿79.6

-61.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 F CFA 1,019

$3.66 ฿124

-52.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 F CFA 1,355

$1.95 ฿65.8

17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 F CFA 764

$1.44 ฿48.51

-9.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 F CFA 874

$1.33 ฿45.07

11.28%

Eggs

$1.96 F CFA 1,156

$2.28 ฿77.1

-14.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.49 F CFA 3,230

$9.31 ฿314

-41.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 F CFA 1,787

$2.35 ฿79.5

28.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 F CFA 1,017

$0.97 ฿32.82

78.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 F CFA 1,529

$1.50 ฿50.7

73.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 F CFA 1,025

$1.28 ฿43.15

35.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 F CFA 717

$1.10 ฿37.22

10.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 F CFA 492

$0.49 ฿16.38

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$4.70 F CFA 2,769

$17.52 ฿592

-73.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 F CFA 668

$1.61 ฿54.5

-29.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 F CFA 832

$2.78 ฿94.0

-49.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 F CFA 691

$0.53 ฿17.82

120.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 F CFA 2,560

$2.42 ฿81.8

79.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 F CFA 707

$1.45 ฿48.93

-17.24%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$146 F CFA 86.1K

$62.2 ฿2,100

135.08%

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

$20.99 F CFA 12.4K

$12.17 ฿411

72.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.24 F CFA 24.9K

$20.12 ฿680

109.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 F CFA 35.4K

$37.31 ฿1,260

61.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.71 F CFA 5,127

$3.77 ฿127

131.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.31 F CFA 2,540

$6.49 ฿219

-33.59%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 F CFA 708.3K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

19.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 F CFA 173.8K

$633 ฿21.4K

-53.41%

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)

$295 F CFA 173.8K

$590 ฿19.9K

-49.94%

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 Lome: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lome

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Lome

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Lome

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lome

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Lome

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Lome

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Lome

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 100% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Lome versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $140 in Lome vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Lome wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇬 Lome

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:57 1:57 PM

20:57 8:57 PM

7 h ahead of Lome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

837,437 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 655 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 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 XOF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lome Chiang Mai 10,600 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Lome
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 67% more than Lome, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $840 per month in Lome 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 $560 in Lome and $936 in Chiang Mai. That’s a gap of about 67%.

Groceries cost about 67% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Lome, where all-in costs run around $560, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Lome it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $560 in Lome to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lome. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.