Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Midlands and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Midlands: $623 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

30

Cost of Living Index in Midlands
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Midlands Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Midlands

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$623

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $623 per month in Midlands vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Midlands $623
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,044 per month in Midlands vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Midlands $1,044
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,465 per month in Midlands vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Midlands $1,465
Chiang Mai $1,979

Midlands is about 33% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Midlands and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Midlands 54% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.77 MUR 269

$2.24 ฿75.6

157.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.11 MUR 1,775

$19.00 ฿641

100.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 MUR 345

$5.55 ฿187

33.51%

Cappuccino

$2.63 MUR 122

$1.67 ฿56.5

57.49%

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

$1.19 MUR 55.3

$0.64 ฿21.53

85.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 MUR 29.67

$0.31 ฿10.30

106.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 MUR 127

$2.36 ฿79.5

15.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MUR 227

$3.66 ฿124

32.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MUR 75.1

$1.95 ฿65.7

-17.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MUR 33.99

$1.44 ฿48.45

-49.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 MUR 51.2

$1.33 ฿45.01

-17.29%

Eggs

$2.57 MUR 119

$2.28 ฿77.0

12.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.38 MUR 251

$16.45 ฿555

-67.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 MUR 292

$2.78 ฿93.8

125.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 MUR 518

$9.31 ฿314

19.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MUR 130

$2.35 ฿79.4

18.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 MUR 125

$0.97 ฿32.78

176.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 MUR 64.9

$1.60 ฿53.9

-13.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 MUR 140

$1.50 ฿50.6

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 MUR 43.60

$1.28 ฿43.10

-26.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 46.82

$1.10 ฿37.17

-8.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 MUR 35.07

$0.71 ฿23.81

5.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 MUR 40.07

$0.49 ฿16.36

75.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 MUR 309

$4.14 ฿140

60.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.24 MUR 384

$17.52 ฿591

-52.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MUR 80.0

$1.61 ฿54.5

6.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 MUR 112

$2.78 ฿93.9

-14.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 MUR 200

$1.16 ฿39.03

270.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.27 MUR 152

$0.53 ฿17.79

516.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.93 MUR 975

$2.42 ฿81.7

764.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MUR 63.7

$1.45 ฿48.87

-5.52%

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

$36.0K MUR 1.7M

$21.1K ฿710.3K

70.89%

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

$31.3K MUR 1.5M

$26.9K ฿908.7K

16.05%

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

$44.87 MUR 2,090

$62.2 ฿2,097

-27.83%

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

$10.80 MUR 503

$12.17 ฿410

-11.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.85 MUR 1,344

$20.12 ฿679

43.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.36 MUR 296

$6.49 ฿219

-2.00%

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

$125 MUR 5,839

$736 ฿24.8K

-82.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,801 MUR 363.4K

$14.8K ฿498.0K

-47.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 MUR 3,584

$53.4 ฿1,800

44.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.1 MUR 3,406

$24.64 ฿831

196.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 MUR 5,659

$91.5 ฿3,086

32.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 MUR 3,575

$71.9 ฿2,426

6.69%

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)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.57

19.75%

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

Last update for Midlands: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Midlands

$217 34.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 7.8% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Midlands

$157 25.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 30.7% $48

Eating Out

Midlands

$131 21%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 40.6% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Midlands

$85 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 11.8% $9.9

Getting Around

Midlands

$21 * 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 197% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Midlands

$13 * 2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 296% $38

Accommodation & Living

Midlands

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Midlands versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $217 in Midlands vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Midlands wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇺 Midlands

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:47 11:47 PM

02:47 2:47 AM

3 h ahead of Midlands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,546

127,240

💱 Currency

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MUR = 2.15 USD

100 MUR = 1.92 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MUR – Mauritian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇺 Mauritian Rupee (₨)

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 46.58 MUR (100 MUR = 2.15 USD). 1 EUR = 52.21 MUR (100 MUR = 1.92 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to MUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Midlands Chiang Mai 6,270 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Midlands
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 50% more than Midlands, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $934 per month in Midlands and $1,403 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 $38 in Midlands and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Midlands, where all-in costs run around $623, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Midlands 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 $623 in Midlands to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.