Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benin and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Benin: $445 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Benin
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Benin Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Benin

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$445

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $445 per month in Benin vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Benin $445
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $753 per month in Benin vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Benin $753
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,061 per month in Benin vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Benin $1,061
Chiang Mai $1,979

Benin is about 52% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Benin and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Benin 67% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.29 ₦1,727

$2.24 ฿75.7

-42.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.53 ₦66.4K

$19.00 ฿642

160.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.72 ₦7,661

$5.55 ฿188

3.06%

Cappuccino

$2.82 ₦3,786

$1.67 ฿56.6

68.86%

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

$0.29 ₦390

$0.64 ฿21.56

-54.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₦264

$0.31 ฿10.32

-35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ₦1,249

$2.36 ฿79.6

-60.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₦1,333

$3.66 ฿124

-72.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.05 ₦4,092

$1.95 ฿65.8

56.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 ₦1,026

$1.44 ฿48.51

-46.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ₦1,665

$1.33 ฿45.07

-6.77%

Eggs

$2.19 ₦2,939

$2.28 ฿77.1

-3.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.55 ₦4,764

$16.45 ฿556

-78.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.93 ₦5,264

$2.78 ฿94.0

41.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.41 ₦5,908

$9.31 ฿314

-52.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 ₦2,206

$2.35 ฿79.5

-29.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₦1,688

$0.97 ฿32.82

29.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 ₦1,445

$1.60 ฿53.9

-32.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ₦1,970

$1.50 ฿50.7

-2.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ₦2,074

$1.28 ฿43.15

21.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 ₦2,120

$1.10 ฿37.22

43.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 ₦1,194

$0.71 ฿23.84

25.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₦487

$0.49 ฿16.38

-26.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.54 ₦730

$4.14 ฿140

-86.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.44 ₦3,267

$17.52 ฿592

-86.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₦683

$1.61 ฿54.5

-68.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₦614

$2.78 ฿94.0

-83.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₦914

$1.16 ฿39.08

-41.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 ₦1,189

$0.53 ฿17.82

67.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 ₦2,982

$2.42 ฿81.8

-8.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 ₦981

$1.45 ฿48.93

-49.66%

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

$11.2K ₦14.9M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

-47.05%

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

$28.7K ₦38.4M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

6.40%

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

$111 ₦148.5K

$62.2 ฿2,100

78.27%

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

$14.93 ₦20.0K

$12.17 ฿411

22.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.50 ₦43.6K

$20.12 ฿680

61.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 ₦8,332

$6.49 ฿219

-4.16%

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

$668 ₦894.8K

$736 ฿24.9K

-9.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ₦26.2M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

32.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.65 ₦19.6K

$53.4 ฿1,802

-72.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.85 ₦23.9K

$24.64 ฿832

-27.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.59 ₦49.0K

$91.5 ฿3,089

-60.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.06 ₦64.4K

$71.9 ฿2,429

-33.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$113 ₦151.1K

$590 ฿19.9K

-80.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

5.57

230.16%

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

Last update for Benin: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benin

$158 35.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 40.3% $64

Groceries & Markets

Benin

$147 33%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 59.5% $87

Eating Out

Benin

$70 15.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 10.9% $7.6

Clothing & Footwear

Benin

$53 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 106% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Benin

$12 * 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 305% $38

Getting Around

Benin

$5.1 * 1.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 1098% $56

Accommodation & Living

Benin

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 5.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Benin versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $147 in Benin vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Benin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Benin

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:15 12:15 AM

06:15 6:15 AM

6 h ahead of Benin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,147,188

127,240

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Benin Chiang Mai 10,130 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Benin
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 110% more than Benin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $668 per month in Benin and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Benin and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Benin, where all-in costs run around $445, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Benin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $445 in Benin to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Benin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.