Cost of Living Comparison Between Old Harbour and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Old Harbour and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $715 per month in Old Harbour vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,163 per month in Old Harbour vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,610 per month in Old Harbour vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Old Harbour is about 17% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Old Harbour and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Old Harbour 46% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.43 JMD 1,013

$1.96 ฿65.7

228.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.66 JMD 4,990

$18.35 ฿616

72.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.93 JMD 777

$7.48 ฿251

-34.09%

Cappuccino

$4.43 JMD 698

$2.02 ฿67.7

119.31%

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

$0.93 JMD 146

$0.85 ฿28.45

9.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 JMD 96.9

$0.36 ฿11.94

69.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 JMD 388

$2.14 ฿71.7

14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 JMD 479

$3.59 ฿121

-15.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.24 JMD 669

$1.65 ฿55.4

156.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 JMD 567

$1.57 ฿52.6

129.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 254

$1.19 ฿39.95

35.29%

Eggs

$3.49 JMD 550

$1.94 ฿65.0

79.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.37 JMD 531

$16.19 ฿544

-79.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.31 JMD 995

$2.99 ฿100

111.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.55 JMD 1,190

$10.94 ฿367

-30.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 JMD 927

$2.71 ฿91.0

116.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 JMD 497

$1.17 ฿39.18

170.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 JMD 649

$1.69 ฿56.6

143.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 JMD 325

$1.60 ฿53.9

28.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 JMD 328

$1.38 ฿46.45

50.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 JMD 315

$1.20 ฿40.38

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 JMD 471

$0.67 ฿22.46

346.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 JMD 235

$0.56 ฿18.70

166.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.64 JMD 1,362

$4.64 ฿156

86.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.51 JMD 1,814

$17.62 ฿591

-34.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 JMD 437

$1.86 ฿62.4

48.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 JMD 481

$3.30 ฿111

-7.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.63

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿649

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 176

$1.36 ฿45.82

-17.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.24 JMD 510

$1.34 ฿44.90

141.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 JMD 995

$8.21 ฿276

-23.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 JMD 169

$1.22 ฿41.11

-12.30%

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

$43.3K JMD 6.8M

$21.4K ฿716.8K

102.88%

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

$34.2K JMD 5.4M

$22.5K ฿756.3K

51.60%

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

$49.50 JMD 7,800

$70.7 ฿2,372

-29.96%

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

$22.09 JMD 3,481

$14.04 ฿471

57.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.72 JMD 6,890

$17.49 ฿587

149.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,415

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 JMD 2,066

$5.92 ฿199

121.45%

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

$228 JMD 35.9K

$309 ฿10.4K

-26.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,483 JMD 391.3K

$14.9K ฿499.5K

-83.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.67 JMD 4,045

$55.8 ฿1,872

-53.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.43 JMD 4,007

$26.11 ฿877

-2.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 JMD 11.0K

$83.0 ฿2,787

-15.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.5 JMD 12.1K

$70.5 ฿2,365

8.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,020

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

83.00%

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

Last update for Old Harbour: July 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Old Harbour versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Old Harbour vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 20% more than Old Harbour, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,073 per month in Old Harbour and $1,292 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 $32.00 in Old Harbour and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 32% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $715 in Old Harbour and $861 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Old Harbour costs $715 versus $861 in Chiang Mai. 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 Old Harbour. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.