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 $1,015 per month in Old Harbour vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,693 per month in Old Harbour vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,371 per month in Old Harbour vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Old Harbour costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Old Harbour and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Old Harbour 26% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.11 JMD 2,538

$2.08 ฿69.2

674.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 JMD 11.9K

$19.64 ฿651

284.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 JMD 1,426

$5.65 ฿188

60.18%

Cappuccino

$5.24 JMD 826

$1.81 ฿59.9

189.50%

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

$1.24 JMD 195

$0.71 ฿23.66

74.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 108

$0.32 ฿10.48

115.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 JMD 354

$2.24 ฿74.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 JMD 511

$3.63 ฿121

-10.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.21 JMD 664

$1.96 ฿65.0

114.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 JMD 581

$1.50 ฿49.83

146.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 JMD 256

$1.34 ฿44.32

21.64%

Eggs

$3.49 JMD 549

$2.26 ฿75.1

54.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.65 JMD 1,835

$16.26 ฿539

-28.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 JMD 1,014

$2.95 ฿98.0

118.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.27 JMD 1,619

$9.94 ฿330

3.32%

Apples (1kg)

$6.23 JMD 982

$2.57 ฿85.3

142.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.84 JMD 606

$1.06 ฿35.04

262.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.39 JMD 1,165

$1.61 ฿53.5

359.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 JMD 488

$1.52 ฿50.4

103.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 JMD 502

$1.27 ฿42.14

151.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 JMD 427

$1.07 ฿35.37

153.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 JMD 476

$0.72 ฿23.89

319.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 226

$0.51 ฿16.87

182.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.35 JMD 1,473

$4.19 ฿139

123.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.49 JMD 1,811

$17.87 ฿593

-35.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 JMD 455

$1.69 ฿56.2

71.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 JMD 612

$2.84 ฿94.1

36.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.70

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,787

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 JMD 186

$1.23 ฿40.95

-4.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 JMD 485

$0.58 ฿19.13

431.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 JMD 1,017

$2.42 ฿80.4

166.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 JMD 214

$1.41 ฿46.84

-3.55%

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

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

$21.4K ฿711.3K

106.75%

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

$33.5K JMD 5.3M

$27.3K ฿906.7K

22.53%

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

$175 JMD 27.6K

$63.7 ฿2,112

175.20%

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

$30.10 JMD 4,744

$12.85 ฿426

134.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 JMD 8,229

$20.22 ฿671

158.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,285

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿132

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 JMD 2,086

$6.74 ฿223

96.44%

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

$356 JMD 56.1K

$778 ฿25.8K

-54.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,218 JMD 1.3M

$14.6K ฿484.6K

-43.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.75 JMD 3,743

$54.3 ฿1,801

-56.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.18 JMD 5,072

$25.45 ฿844

26.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 JMD 12.3K

$94.3 ฿3,129

-16.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 JMD 16.3K

$73.4 ฿2,436

41.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,596

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿49.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

5.57

69.66%

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

Last update for Old Harbour: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Old Harbour versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $240 – 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

Old Harbour costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,523 per month in Old Harbour and $1,421 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 $75.0 in Old Harbour and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Old Harbour, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $947, than in Old Harbour at $1,015. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Old Harbour it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $947 versus $1,015 in Old Harbour. 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, Old Harbour makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.