Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milton and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,718 in Milton, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Milton
Learn more

Milton Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Milton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,718

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,718 per month in Milton vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Milton $2,718
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,861 per month in Milton vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Milton $3,861
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $5,004 per month in Milton vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Milton $5,004
Chiang Mai $1,979

Milton costs about 191% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Milton sits 100% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 CA$19.61

$2.24 ฿75.6

526.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$99.2

$19.00 ฿641

273.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.73 CA$12.20

$5.55 ฿187

57.30%

Cappuccino

$3.72 CA$5.19

$1.67 ฿56.5

122.75%

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

$2.95 CA$4.12

$0.64 ฿21.55

360.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 CA$3.30

$0.31 ฿10.31

661.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 CA$6.91

$2.36 ฿79.6

109.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 CA$8.50

$3.66 ฿124

66.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 CA$2.82

$1.95 ฿65.8

3.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 CA$3.16

$1.44 ฿48.48

57.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 CA$3.58

$1.33 ฿45.04

92.48%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.47

$2.28 ฿77.1

40.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 CA$12.63

$16.45 ฿555

-45.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$22.57 CA$31.53

$2.78 ฿93.9

711.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.80 CA$31.85

$9.31 ฿314

144.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 CA$6.93

$2.35 ฿79.4

111.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 CA$1.53

$0.97 ฿32.80

12.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.01

$1.60 ฿53.9

79.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.61

$1.50 ฿50.6

168.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 CA$3.39

$1.28 ฿43.12

89.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 CA$3.10

$1.10 ฿37.19

101.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CA$3.06

$0.71 ฿23.82

208.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 CA$2.69

$0.49 ฿16.37

293.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 CA$15.98

$4.14 ฿140

176.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.37 CA$18.67

$17.52 ฿591

-23.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 CA$2.91

$1.61 ฿54.5

29.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.78 ฿94.0

-5.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.77 CA$3.86

$0.87 ฿29.31

218.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.5 CA$79.0

$54.1 ฿1,826

4.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 CA$4.59

$1.16 ฿39.06

183.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 CA$2.18

$0.53 ฿17.80

194.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.41 CA$39.69

$2.42 ฿81.8

1073.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 CA$1.51

$1.45 ฿48.90

-25.52%

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

$23.8K CA$33.2K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

12.89%

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

$18.8K CA$26.3K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-30.06%

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

$230 CA$321

$62.2 ฿2,098

269.99%

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

$55.1 CA$77.0

$12.17 ฿411

352.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 CA$74.6

$20.12 ฿679

165.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.90 CA$59.9

$37.31 ฿1,259

14.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.76 CA$29.00

$3.77 ฿127

450.66%

Cinema Ticket

$14.47 CA$20.22

$6.49 ฿219

122.96%

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

$401 CA$560

$736 ฿24.8K

-45.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$15.1K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-26.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 CA$97.2

$53.4 ฿1,801

30.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.46 CA$64.9

$24.64 ฿831

88.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 CA$127

$91.5 ฿3,087

-0.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 CA$202

$71.9 ฿2,428

101.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 CA$2,136

$482 ฿16.3K

217.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 CA$1,965

$309 ฿10.4K

355.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 CA$3,561

$1,006 ฿33.9K

153.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,110 CA$2,947

$633 ฿21.4K

233.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,836 CA$6,757

$2,363 ฿79.8K

104.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,132 CA$5,772

$1,589 ฿53.6K

160.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,138 CA$4,384

$590 ฿19.9K

432.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.69

5.57

2.15%

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

Last update for Milton: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milton

$1.4K 51.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 78% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Milton

$423 15.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 44.6% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milton

$338 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 72.1% $244

Eating Out

Milton

$241 8.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 67.8% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Milton

$158 5.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 31.4% $50

Getting Around

Milton

$79 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 22% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Milton

$72 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 30% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,529 in Milton versus $482 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.

Salaries in Milton are about 5.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Milton versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $423 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Milton

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

16:33 4:33 PM

12 h ahead of Milton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,128

127,240

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Milton Chiang Mai 13,090 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Milton
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

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

Milton costs about 191% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $4,077 per month in Milton and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,529 in Milton.

Kindergarten costs $401 per month in Milton and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 81% more in Milton, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,718 in Milton and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,718 in Milton. 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.

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