Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nakusp and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,280 in Nakusp, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nakusp, Canada
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Nakusp
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,280
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,280 per month in Nakusp vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Nakusp $2,280
  • Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,238 per month in Nakusp vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Nakusp $3,238
  • Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $4,196 per month in Nakusp vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Nakusp $4,196
  • Chiang Mai $1,999

Nakusp costs about 144% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nakusp sits 69% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nakusp
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.15 CA$25.33
$2.13 ฿71.8
752.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.9 CA$90.5
$18.62 ฿626
248.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.65 CA$14.86
$5.60 ฿188
90.18%
Cappuccino
$3.66 CA$5.11
$1.66 ฿55.9
120.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 CA$2.75
$0.65 ฿21.75
203.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 CA$2.33
$0.30 ฿10.25
456.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.02 CA$7.01
$2.32 ฿78.1
116.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.63 CA$7.86
$3.67 ฿123
53.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nakusp
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.04 CA$2.85
$2.02 ฿67.8
0.99%
White Bread (500g)
$2.61 CA$3.64
$1.41 ฿47.34
85.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.38 CA$4.72
$1.39 ฿46.79
143.17%
Eggs
$3.56 CA$4.96
$2.37 ฿79.6
50.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.25 CA$14.30
$16.52 ฿555
-37.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.50 CA$16.04
$2.67 ฿89.8
330.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.62 CA$20.40
$9.02 ฿303
62.08%
Apples (1kg)
$3.89 CA$5.42
$2.40 ฿80.6
62.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.34 CA$1.87
$1.04 ฿35.01
28.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.74 CA$5.22
$1.66 ฿55.8
125.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.75 CA$5.23
$1.56 ฿52.4
140.38%
Potato (1kg)
$2.35 CA$3.28
$1.24 ฿41.61
89.52%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 CA$3.20
$1.09 ฿36.53
110.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.45 CA$3.42
$0.76 ฿25.61
222.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 CA$2.24
$0.51 ฿17.29
213.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.06 CA$19.62
$4.12 ฿139
241.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.67 CA$17.68
$17.93 ฿603
-29.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.80 CA$3.91
$1.62 ฿54.6
72.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 CA$4.31
$2.82 ฿94.9
9.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Nakusp
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.29 CA$3.20
$0.93 ฿31.42
146.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.7 CA$86.0
$52.9 ฿1,778
16.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.98 CA$4.15
$1.18 ฿39.56
152.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 CA$2.06
$0.17 ฿5.76
764.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.14 CA$32.29
$1.81 ฿60.9
1178.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 CA$1.69
$1.47 ฿49.51
-17.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$38.9K
$21.0K ฿706.4K
32.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.9K CA$29.2K
$26.5K ฿891.4K
-21.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nakusp
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 CA$190
$62.6 ฿2,103
117.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.32 CA$54.9
$11.60 ฿390
238.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.7 CA$75.0
$20.30 ฿683
164.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nakusp
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.10 CA$51.8
$37.88 ฿1,274
-2.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.06 CA$25.20
$3.70 ฿124
388.11%
Cinema Ticket
$10.74 CA$14.98
$6.51 ฿219
64.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nakusp
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$650 CA$907
$727 ฿24.4K
-10.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.3K CA$18.5K
$16.6K ฿557.2K
-19.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nakusp
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.4 CA$75.9
$53.5 ฿1,800
1.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.57 CA$55.2
$24.80 ฿834
59.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.3 CA$120
$90.4 ฿3,039
-4.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 CA$143
$72.0 ฿2,420
42.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nakusp
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,297 CA$1,810
$481 ฿16.2K
169.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,158 CA$1,616
$310 ฿10.4K
273.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,016 CA$2,814
$1,058 ฿35.6K
90.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,658 CA$2,314
$659 ฿22.1K
151.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,452 CA$6,212
$2,418 ฿81.3K
84.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,630 CA$5,066
$1,609 ฿54.1K
125.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nakusp
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$595 ฿20.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.68
5.57
-15.98%

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

Last update for Nakusp: November 3, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nakusp
$1.2K
Chiang Mai
$310 73.2% $848
Groceries & Markets
Nakusp
$354
Chiang Mai
$237 33.1% $117
Eating Out
Nakusp
$272
Chiang Mai
$77 71.9% $195
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nakusp
$229
Chiang Mai
$94 58.7% $134
Clothing & Footwear
Nakusp
$127
Chiang Mai
$108 14.9% $19
Getting Around
Nakusp
$81
Chiang Mai
$59 27.7% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Nakusp
$59
Chiang Mai
$51 13.1% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,297 in Nakusp versus $481 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Nakusp versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Nakusp
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
15:15 3:15 PM
05:15 5:15 AM
14 h ahead of Nakusp
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,706
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.717 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.637 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nakusp Chiang Mai 11,530 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nakusp
  • 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
Nakusp vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nakusp or Chiang Mai?
Nakusp costs about 144% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Nakusp and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,420 per month in Nakusp and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Nakusp or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,297 in Nakusp.
How do childcare costs compare in Nakusp and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $650 per month in Nakusp and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Nakusp or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 49% more in Nakusp, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Nakusp or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,280 in Nakusp and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Nakusp or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $2,280 in Nakusp. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Nakusp compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 59% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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