Cost of Living Comparison Between Lucea and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Lucea and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $896 per month in Lucea vs $847 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,463 per month in Lucea vs $1,332 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,029 per month in Lucea vs $1,816 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lucea costs about 6% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Lucea and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Lucea 33% lower, Chiang Mai 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 JMD 1,154

$2.03 ฿68.2

261.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 JMD 9,731

$18.71 ฿629

230.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 JMD 1,385

$7.84 ฿263

12.12%

Cappuccino

$4.45 JMD 700

$1.93 ฿64.7

130.57%

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

$1.36 JMD 214

$0.83 ฿27.92

63.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 JMD 111

$0.35 ฿11.77

102.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 JMD 389

$2.22 ฿74.6

11.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 JMD 488

$3.79 ฿127

-18.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.30 JMD 677

$1.65 ฿55.3

160.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 JMD 573

$1.55 ฿52.1

134.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 JMD 244

$1.18 ฿39.69

31.36%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 548

$2.01 ฿67.7

73.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 JMD 1,734

$16.16 ฿543

-31.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 JMD 1,009

$3.03 ฿102

111.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 JMD 1,199

$10.84 ฿364

-29.80%

Apples (1kg)

$6.19 JMD 975

$2.68 ฿90.0

130.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 JMD 477

$1.22 ฿41.03

148.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 JMD 681

$1.63 ฿54.6

165.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 JMD 473

$1.53 ฿51.3

96.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 318

$1.34 ฿44.98

50.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$1.21 ฿40.75

59.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 JMD 471

$0.70 ฿23.57

327.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 JMD 230

$0.53 ฿17.65

175.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.95 JMD 1,409

$4.69 ฿157

90.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 JMD 1,799

$17.71 ฿595

-35.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 JMD 437

$1.85 ฿62.0

49.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 JMD 479

$3.21 ฿108

-5.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.76 ฿630

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 176

$1.41 ฿47.27

-20.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 JMD 496

$1.29 ฿43.40

144.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.09 JMD 959

$7.79 ฿262

-21.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 JMD 193

$1.29 ฿43.47

-4.65%

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

$42.5K JMD 6.7M

$21.8K ฿731.4K

95.10%

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

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

$21.7K ฿728.8K

55.74%

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

$166 JMD 26.2K

$70.0 ฿2,351

137.44%

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

$21.98 JMD 3,462

$14.19 ฿477

54.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 JMD 8,184

$17.42 ฿585

198.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.64 ฿1,399

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.89 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$12.89 JMD 2,030

$5.78 ฿194

123.01%

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

$228 JMD 36.0K

$300 ฿10.1K

-23.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,494 JMD 392.7K

$14.5K ฿487.9K

-82.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.81 JMD 4,064

$55.4 ฿1,860

-53.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.64 JMD 4,038

$26.31 ฿884

-2.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 JMD 11.4K

$84.8 ฿2,851

-14.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 JMD 12.2K

$70.5 ฿2,368

10.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 ฿14.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ฿7,898

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 ฿27.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ฿17.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,926 ฿64.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿48.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$586 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

83.00%

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

Last update for Lucea: July 22, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lucea versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $242 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Lucea costs about 6% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,344 per month in Lucea and $1,271 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lucea and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Lucea, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $896 in Lucea and $847 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $847 versus $896 in Lucea. 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, Lucea makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.