Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Providence and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,157 in New Providence, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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New Providence

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$2,157

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,157 per month in New Providence vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

New Providence $2,157
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $5,290 per month in New Providence vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

New Providence $5,290
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $8,422 per month in New Providence vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

New Providence $8,422
Chiang Mai $1,914

New Providence costs about 130% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

New Providence sits 60% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$74.0 BSD 74.0

$2.26 ฿75.4

3176.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 BSD 147

$19.18 ฿641

668.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

Cappuccino

$5.52 BSD 5.52

$1.72 ฿57.6

220.93%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 BSD 2.08

$2.05 ฿68.6

1.46%

White Bread (500g)

$4.91 BSD 4.91

$1.40 ฿46.70

250.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.04 BSD 5.04

$1.28 ฿42.89

293.75%

Eggs

$9.83 BSD 9.83

$2.25 ฿75.3

336.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 BSD 19.93

$16.94 ฿566

17.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.86 BSD 9.86

$2.74 ฿91.6

259.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.14 BSD 20.14

$9.36 ฿313

115.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 BSD 4.40

$2.40 ฿80.3

83.33%

Banana (1kg)

$5.83 BSD 5.83

$1.01 ฿33.92

477.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.12 BSD 7.12

$1.61 ฿53.9

342.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 BSD 3.91

$1.52 ฿50.7

157.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 BSD 3.89

$1.28 ฿42.90

203.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 BSD 3.07

$1.11 ฿37.22

176.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 BSD 3.07

$0.72 ฿24.09

326.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 BSD 2.95

$0.52 ฿17.54

467.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.22 BSD 15.22

$4.33 ฿145

251.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.75 BSD 24.75

$17.73 ฿593

39.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 BSD 3.90

$1.63 ฿54.4

139.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 BSD 3.90

$2.85 ฿95.3

36.84%

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)

$1.74 BSD 1.74

$1.45 ฿48.32

20.00%

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)

$40.04 BSD 40.04

$12.27 ฿410

226.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$98.8 BSD 98.8

$19.97 ฿668

394.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.8 BSD 75.8

$37.91 ฿1,267

100.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$14.89 BSD 14.89

$6.71 ฿224

121.91%

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

$1,520 BSD 1,520

$797 ฿26.6K

90.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K BSD 15.0K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

0.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 BSD 1,480

$464 ฿15.5K

219.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 BSD 708

$305 ฿10.2K

132.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,580 BSD 4,580

$552 ฿18.5K

729.18%

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)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for New Providence: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Providence

–

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Groceries & Markets

New Providence

–

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Clothing & Footwear

New Providence

–

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Providence

–

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Eating Out

New Providence

–

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Getting Around

New Providence

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

New Providence

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,480 in New Providence 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $147 in New Providence versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇸 New Providence

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

14:32 2:32 PM

01:32 1:32 AM

11 h ahead of New Providence

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

296,522

127,240

💱 Currency

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BSD – Bahamian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇸 Bahamian Dollar ($)

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.89 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 BSD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

New Providence Chiang Mai 15,110 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

New Providence
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

New Providence vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Providence costs about 130% 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 $3,236 per month in New Providence 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $147 in New Providence and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 130% more in New Providence, 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 New Providence at $2,157. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Providence it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,157 in New Providence. 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, New Providence makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.