Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moka and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Moka and in Chiang Mai: $916 and $938 a month, rent and utilities included.

43

Cost of Living Index in Moka
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Moka Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Moka

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$916

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $916 per month in Moka vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Moka $916
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,534 per month in Moka vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Moka $1,534
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,153 per month in Moka vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Moka $2,153
Chiang Mai $1,914

Moka is about 2% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Moka and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Moka 32% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.41 MUR 302

$2.26 ฿75.4

183.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.33 MUR 1,287

$19.18 ฿641

42.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 MUR 317

$5.59 ฿187

20.39%

Cappuccino

$4.31 MUR 203

$1.72 ฿57.6

150.58%

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

$1.06 MUR 50.1

$0.64 ฿21.54

65.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MUR 14.33

$0.33 ฿11.18

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MUR 122

$2.36 ฿78.7

9.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 MUR 150

$3.90 ฿130

-18.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MUR 80.8

$2.05 ฿68.6

-16.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 MUR 35.59

$1.40 ฿46.70

-45.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MUR 80.5

$1.28 ฿42.89

33.59%

Eggs

$2.99 MUR 141

$2.25 ฿75.3

32.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 MUR 499

$2.74 ฿91.6

287.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.62 MUR 688

$9.36 ฿313

56.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MUR 136

$2.40 ฿80.3

20.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MUR 78.0

$1.01 ฿33.92

64.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 MUR 194

$1.61 ฿53.9

155.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 MUR 200

$1.52 ฿50.7

178.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 MUR 49.99

$1.28 ฿42.90

-17.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 MUR 50.9

$1.11 ฿37.22

-2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 MUR 40.67

$0.72 ฿24.09

19.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MUR 35.55

$0.52 ฿17.54

46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.98 MUR 329

$4.33 ฿145

61.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 MUR 700

$17.73 ฿593

-16.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 MUR 127

$1.63 ฿54.4

65.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 MUR 153

$2.85 ฿95.3

14.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 MUR 76.6

$1.45 ฿48.32

12.41%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$4.10 MUR 193

$12.27 ฿410

-66.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.89 MUR 984

$19.97 ฿668

4.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.03 MUR 990

$37.91 ฿1,267

-44.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.15 MUR 289

$6.71 ฿224

-8.35%

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

$107 MUR 5,023

$797 ฿26.6K

-86.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 MUR 2,836

$53.3 ฿1,780

13.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.64 MUR 1,490

$25.05 ฿837

26.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MUR 5,367

$91.6 ฿3,062

24.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 MUR 3,941

$73.5 ฿2,455

13.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 MUR 24.5K

$464 ฿15.5K

12.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 MUR 14.6K

$305 ฿10.2K

1.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$883 MUR 41.6K

$915 ฿30.6K

-3.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 MUR 33.8K

$552 ฿18.5K

29.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,066 MUR 50.2K

$595 ฿19.9K

79.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.72%

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

Last update for Moka: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moka

$309 33.8%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 1.5% $4.7

Groceries & Markets

Moka

$270 * 29.5%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 11.9% $32

Eating Out

Moka

$148 16.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 46.6% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Moka

$130 14.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 16% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Moka

$33 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 54.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moka

$25 * 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 279% $70

Getting Around

Moka

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $521 in Moka versus $464 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 run about 79% higher in Moka, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Moka versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $270 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇺 Moka

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

18:50 6:50 PM

3 h ahead of Moka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,364

127,240

💱 Currency

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Moka
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 2% more than Moka, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,374 per month in Moka and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Moka, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Moka and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Moka, where all-in costs run around $916, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Moka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Moka costs $916 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. 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 Moka. 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.