Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Niamey and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,339 in Niamey, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Niamey
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Niamey Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Niamey

🇳🇪 Niger

$1,339

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,339 per month in Niamey vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Niamey $1,339
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,712 per month in Niamey vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Niamey $1,712
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,085 per month in Niamey vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Niamey $2,085
Chiang Mai $1,914

Niamey costs about 43% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Niamey and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Niamey 1% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.27 F CFA 3,654

$2.26 ฿75.4

177.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.32 F CFA 22.3K

$19.18 ฿641

99.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 F CFA 5,482

$5.59 ฿187

68.16%

Cappuccino

$3.06 F CFA 1,785

$1.72 ฿57.6

77.91%

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

$1.45 F CFA 846

$0.64 ฿21.54

126.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 F CFA 554

$0.33 ฿11.18

187.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 F CFA 732

$2.36 ฿78.7

-46.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 F CFA 1,785

$3.90 ฿130

-21.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 F CFA 1,368

$2.05 ฿68.6

14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 F CFA 302

$1.40 ฿46.70

-62.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 980

$1.28 ฿42.89

31.25%

Eggs

$2.11 F CFA 1,228

$2.25 ฿75.3

-6.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.90 F CFA 3,441

$2.74 ฿91.6

115.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 F CFA 4,420

$9.36 ฿313

-19.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 F CFA 1,999

$2.40 ฿80.3

42.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 F CFA 909

$1.01 ฿33.92

54.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 F CFA 1,662

$1.61 ฿53.9

77.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 F CFA 971

$1.52 ฿50.7

9.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 F CFA 840

$1.28 ฿42.90

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 F CFA 381

$1.11 ฿37.22

-41.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 F CFA 487

$0.72 ฿24.09

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 F CFA 604

$0.52 ฿17.54

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 F CFA 1,497

$4.33 ฿145

-40.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.82 F CFA 8,061

$17.73 ฿593

-22.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 F CFA 816

$1.63 ฿54.4

-14.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 F CFA 1,931

$2.85 ฿95.3

16.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 F CFA 192

$0.85 ฿28.31

-61.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 F CFA 244

$1.17 ฿39.18

-64.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 F CFA 207

$0.57 ฿19.00

-36.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 F CFA 4,893

$2.37 ฿79.2

254.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 F CFA 541

$1.45 ฿48.32

-35.86%

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

$20.4K F CFA 11.9M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-0.26%

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

$23.8K F CFA 13.9M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-10.11%

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

$170 F CFA 98.8K

$62.3 ฿2,083

171.97%

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

$16.92 F CFA 9,869

$12.27 ฿410

37.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.7 F CFA 48.8K

$19.97 ฿668

318.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.0 F CFA 43.7K

$37.91 ฿1,267

97.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 F CFA 2,931

$6.71 ฿224

-25.04%

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

$1,025 F CFA 597.5K

$797 ฿26.6K

28.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,271 F CFA 2.5M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-71.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 F CFA 39.8K

$53.3 ฿1,780

28.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$84.0 F CFA 49.0K

$25.05 ฿837

235.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.5 F CFA 30.0K

$91.6 ฿3,062

-43.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.8 F CFA 39.5K

$73.5 ฿2,455

-7.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 F CFA 542.5K

$464 ฿15.5K

100.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 F CFA 301.0K

$305 ฿10.2K

69.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$809 F CFA 472.0K

$915 ฿30.6K

-11.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 F CFA 247.4K

$552 ฿18.5K

-23.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,663 F CFA 969.5K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-13.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$955 F CFA 556.7K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-33.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$391 F CFA 228.3K

$595 ฿19.9K

-34.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

61.58%

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

Last update for Niamey: 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

Niamey

$516 38.5%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 41% $211

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Niamey

$270 20.2%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 65% $176

Groceries & Markets

Niamey

$205 * 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 16.1% $33

Eating Out

Niamey

$137 10.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 42.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Niamey

$122 9.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 10.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Niamey

$85 6.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 39.7% $34

Getting Around

Niamey

$3.5 * 0.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 1647% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $930 in Niamey 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 52% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $38.00 in Niamey versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $205 in Niamey vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Niamey wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇪 Niamey

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

12:42 12:42 PM

6 h ahead of Niamey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,026,848 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 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 XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Niamey Chiang Mai 10,230 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Niamey
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

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

Niamey costs about 43% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,009 per month in Niamey 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 $38.00 in Niamey 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 16% cheaper in Niamey – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Niamey at $1,339. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Niamey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,339 in Niamey. 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, Niamey makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.