Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Montreal vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Montreal $2,018
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,085 per month in Montreal vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Montreal $3,085
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $4,152 per month in Montreal vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Montreal $4,152
Chiang Mai $1,914

Montreal costs about 115% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CA$26.61

$2.26 ฿75.4

732.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.4

$19.18 ฿641

266.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 CA$15.06

$5.59 ฿187

90.70%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.43

$1.72 ฿57.6

123.26%

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

$1.92 CA$2.71

$0.64 ฿21.54

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$0.33 ฿11.18

366.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 CA$8.81

$2.36 ฿78.7

163.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 CA$10.03

$3.90 ฿130

82.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$2.05 ฿68.6

12.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$1.40 ฿46.70

124.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.54

$1.28 ฿42.89

150.78%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.25 ฿75.3

56.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$18.11

$16.94 ฿566

-24.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.20

$2.74 ฿91.6

318.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 CA$18.92

$9.36 ฿313

43.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.40 ฿80.3

30.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.01 ฿33.92

42.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.61 ฿53.9

115.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.34

$1.52 ฿50.7

101.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.69

$1.28 ฿42.90

48.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.11 ฿37.22

59.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$0.72 ฿24.09

225.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$0.52 ฿17.54

198.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 CA$16.09

$4.33 ฿145

162.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.03

$17.73 ฿593

-40.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.63 ฿54.4

39.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$2.85 ฿95.3

-1.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 CA$3.76

$0.85 ฿28.31

212.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 CA$109

$53.9 ฿1,801

43.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$1.17 ฿39.18

173.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$0.57 ฿19.00

159.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 CA$46.48

$2.37 ฿79.2

1287.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.45 ฿48.32

-7.59%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

37.49%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-25.96%

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

$76.0 CA$107

$62.3 ฿2,083

21.87%

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

$33.95 CA$48.00

$12.27 ฿410

176.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 CA$59.8

$19.97 ฿668

111.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 CA$42.07

$37.91 ฿1,267

-21.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 CA$28.67

$3.76 ฿126

439.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 CA$15.77

$6.71 ฿224

66.17%

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

$507 CA$717

$797 ฿26.6K

-36.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.7K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

8.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.4

$53.3 ฿1,780

8.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 CA$53.1

$25.05 ฿837

50.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$130

$91.6 ฿3,062

0.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$73.5 ฿2,455

49.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,782

$464 ฿15.5K

171.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 CA$1,340

$305 ฿10.2K

211.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 CA$3,021

$915 ฿30.6K

133.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,281

$552 ฿18.5K

192.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,960 CA$7,011

$1,912 ฿63.9K

159.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,838 CA$5,425

$1,438 ฿48.1K

166.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,827 CA$3,997

$595 ฿19.9K

375.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

5.57

-19.57%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$948 47%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 67.8% $643

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$346 17.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 31.3% $108

Eating Out

Montreal

$288 14.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 72.6% $209

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$152 7.5%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 37.9% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.6%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 17.9% $24

Getting Around

Montreal

$99 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 37.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$52 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 1.4% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Montreal 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 375% higher in Montreal, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Montreal versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

19:53 7:53 PM

06:53 6:53 AM

11 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

127,240

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montreal Chiang Mai 12,830 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
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

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

Montreal costs about 115% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $3,027 per month in Montreal 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Montreal and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Montreal at $2,018. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,018 in Montreal. 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, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.