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 $727 per month in Old Harbour vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,160 per month in Old Harbour vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,592 per month in Old Harbour vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Old Harbour is about 16% 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 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.09 JMD 954

$1.94 ฿63.5

213.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.96 JMD 4,852

$18.64 ฿609

66.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 JMD 765

$7.82 ฿255

-37.60%

Cappuccino

$4.42 JMD 693

$1.95 ฿63.8

126.67%

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

$0.92 JMD 145

$0.85 ฿27.77

8.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 JMD 94.0

$0.35 ฿11.58

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 JMD 382

$2.13 ฿69.6

14.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 JMD 478

$3.73 ฿122

-18.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.35 JMD 682

$1.71 ฿56.0

154.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 JMD 566

$1.63 ฿53.2

121.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 JMD 255

$1.14 ฿37.15

42.98%

Eggs

$3.41 JMD 535

$1.93 ฿63.1

76.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.37 JMD 527

$16.21 ฿530

-79.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.51 JMD 1,020

$3.12 ฿102

108.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 JMD 1,220

$10.90 ฿356

-28.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 JMD 925

$2.75 ฿90.0

114.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 JMD 490

$1.21 ฿39.52

157.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 JMD 670

$1.62 ฿53.0

163.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 JMD 333

$1.59 ฿51.8

33.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 JMD 314

$1.40 ฿45.70

42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 JMD 317

$1.17 ฿38.17

73.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 JMD 467

$0.66 ฿21.60

351.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 JMD 224

$0.53 ฿17.22

169.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.69 JMD 1,361

$4.69 ฿153

85.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.63 JMD 1,822

$18.66 ฿609

-37.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 JMD 446

$1.80 ฿58.8

58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 483

$3.23 ฿106

-4.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 176

$1.41 ฿45.91

-20.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 JMD 491

$1.29 ฿42.12

143.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 JMD 970

$7.84 ฿256

-21.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 JMD 163

$1.27 ฿41.58

-18.11%

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

$43.5K JMD 6.8M

$21.3K ฿694.9K

104.44%

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

$33.5K JMD 5.3M

$22.2K ฿725.4K

51.02%

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

$49.93 JMD 7,824

$69.1 ฿2,256

-27.71%

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

$22.31 JMD 3,496

$14.08 ฿460

58.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.15 JMD 6,918

$18.00 ฿588

145.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$13.27 JMD 2,079

$5.92 ฿193

124.16%

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

$227 JMD 35.6K

$299 ฿9,766

-24.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,436 JMD 381.7K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-83.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.12 JMD 4,093

$54.7 ฿1,787

-52.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.85 JMD 4,050

$26.77 ฿874

-3.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 JMD 11.2K

$85.0 ฿2,776

-15.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 JMD 11.7K

$70.6 ฿2,306

5.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Old Harbour versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $246 – 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 19% 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 $1,091 per month in Old Harbour and $1,300 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 $31.00 in Old Harbour 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 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 $727 in Old Harbour and $866 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Old Harbour costs $727 versus $866 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.