Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Shore and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,123 in North Shore, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in North Shore
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North Shore Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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North Shore

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,123

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,123 per month in North Shore vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

North Shore $2,123
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,945 per month in North Shore vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

North Shore $2,945
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,766 per month in North Shore vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

North Shore $3,766
Chiang Mai $1,979

North Shore costs about 127% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

North Shore sits 56% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 NZ$24.86

$2.24 ฿75.5

524.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 NZ$134

$19.00 ฿640

296.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.51 NZ$15.11

$5.55 ฿187

53.33%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$6.11

$1.67 ฿56.4

105.99%

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

$1.99 NZ$3.54

$0.64 ฿21.51

210.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 NZ$3.24

$0.31 ฿10.29

490.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 NZ$11.86

$2.36 ฿79.5

183.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 NZ$10.25

$3.66 ฿123

57.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 NZ$2.88

$1.95 ฿65.7

-16.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 NZ$2.38

$1.44 ฿48.41

-6.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.23

$1.33 ฿44.97

36.84%

Eggs

$5.76 NZ$10.23

$2.28 ฿77.0

152.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.01 NZ$14.23

$16.45 ฿554

-51.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.01 NZ$17.78

$2.78 ฿93.8

260.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.77 NZ$20.92

$9.31 ฿314

26.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 NZ$4.77

$2.35 ฿79.3

14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.75

$0.97 ฿32.75

117.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.16 NZ$5.62

$1.60 ฿53.8

97.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.03 NZ$10.72

$1.50 ฿50.6

302.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NZ$3.69

$1.28 ฿43.06

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 NZ$2.69

$1.10 ฿37.14

38.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NZ$4.44

$0.71 ฿23.79

252.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 NZ$1.64

$0.49 ฿16.34

89.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.31 NZ$44.96

$4.14 ฿140

511.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 NZ$18.65

$17.52 ฿590

-40.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 NZ$4.87

$1.61 ฿54.4

70.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 NZ$5.84

$2.78 ฿93.8

18.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 NZ$4.13

$0.87 ฿29.27

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.4 NZ$109

$54.1 ฿1,823

13.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 NZ$4.11

$1.16 ฿39.00

99.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 NZ$3.50

$0.53 ฿17.78

271.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.86 NZ$58.4

$2.42 ฿81.6

1257.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$3.09

$1.45 ฿48.82

20.00%

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

$26.9K NZ$47.7K

$21.1K ฿709.7K

27.62%

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

$22.1K NZ$39.3K

$26.9K ฿907.9K

-17.91%

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

$182 NZ$323

$62.2 ฿2,095

192.44%

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

$26.22 NZ$46.58

$12.17 ฿410

115.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 NZ$91.3

$20.12 ฿678

155.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.58 NZ$48.99

$37.31 ฿1,257

-26.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$12.07 NZ$21.44

$6.49 ฿219

85.98%

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

$686 NZ$1,219

$736 ฿24.8K

-6.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NZ$25.8K

$14.8K ฿497.6K

-1.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 NZ$123

$53.4 ฿1,799

29.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 NZ$66.9

$24.64 ฿830

52.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 NZ$169

$91.5 ฿3,083

4.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 NZ$191

$71.9 ฿2,424

49.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 NZ$2,360

$482 ฿16.3K

175.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NZ$1,850

$309 ฿10.4K

237.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 NZ$3,980

$1,006 ฿33.9K

122.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 NZ$2,355

$633 ฿21.3K

109.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,353 NZ$13.1K

$2,363 ฿79.6K

211.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,086 NZ$10.8K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

282.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,856 NZ$5,074

$590 ฿19.9K

384.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

5.57

19.03%

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

Last update for North Shore: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

North Shore

$1K 49%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 70.3% $733

Groceries & Markets

North Shore

$310 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 24.4% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Shore

$259 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 63.6% $165

Eating Out

North Shore

$239 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 67.5% $161

Clothing & Footwear

North Shore

$139 6.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 22% $31

Getting Around

North Shore

$83 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 26% $22

Sport & Entertainment

North Shore

$52 2.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 2.8% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,328 in North Shore versus $482 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 in North Shore are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in North Shore versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 North Shore

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

11:28 11:28 AM

6 h behind North Shore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

258,697

127,240

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.506 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.506 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

North Shore Chiang Mai 10,050 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

North Shore
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

North Shore vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Shore costs about 127% 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 $3,185 per month in North Shore and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,328 in North Shore.

Kindergarten costs $686 per month in North Shore and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in North Shore, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,123 in North Shore and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,123 in North Shore. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, North Shore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.