Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ouagadougou and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,158 in Ouagadougou, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Ouagadougou
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Ouagadougou Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ouagadougou

🇧🇫 Burkina Faso

$1,158

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,158 per month in Ouagadougou vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ouagadougou $1,158
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,908 per month in Ouagadougou vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ouagadougou $1,908
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,658 per month in Ouagadougou vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ouagadougou $2,658
Chiang Mai $1,979

Ouagadougou costs about 24% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ouagadougou and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ouagadougou 15% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.06 F CFA 4,147

$2.24 ฿75.6

215.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.18 F CFA 14.8K

$19.00 ฿641

32.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 F CFA 4,311

$5.55 ฿187

32.25%

Cappuccino

$2.04 F CFA 1,199

$1.67 ฿56.5

22.16%

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

$1.05 F CFA 615

$0.64 ฿21.54

64.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 F CFA 647

$0.31 ฿10.31

254.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 F CFA 707

$2.36 ฿79.5

-49.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 F CFA 1,541

$3.66 ฿124

-28.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 F CFA 1,147

$1.95 ฿65.7

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 F CFA 661

$1.44 ฿48.46

-22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 F CFA 491

$1.33 ฿45.03

-36.84%

Eggs

$2.52 F CFA 1,482

$2.28 ฿77.1

10.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.97 F CFA 9,968

$16.45 ฿555

3.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.39 F CFA 12.0K

$2.78 ฿93.9

633.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.70 F CFA 8,635

$9.31 ฿314

57.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 F CFA 2,709

$2.35 ฿79.4

96.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 F CFA 1,962

$1.60 ฿53.9

108.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 F CFA 2,226

$1.50 ฿50.6

152.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 F CFA 890

$1.28 ฿43.11

18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 F CFA 974

$1.10 ฿37.18

50.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 F CFA 764

$0.71 ฿23.82

83.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 F CFA 792

$0.49 ฿16.36

175.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 F CFA 752

$4.14 ฿140

-69.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 F CFA 3,535

$17.52 ฿591

-65.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 F CFA 844

$1.61 ฿54.5

-10.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 F CFA 1,490

$2.78 ฿93.9

-8.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 F CFA 85.7

$0.87 ฿29.30

-82.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 F CFA 306

$1.16 ฿39.04

-55.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 F CFA 475

$0.53 ฿17.80

52.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.54 F CFA 5,017

$2.42 ฿81.7

252.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 F CFA 837

$1.45 ฿48.88

-1.38%

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

$36.8K F CFA 21.6M

$21.1K ฿710.5K

74.81%

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

$31.4K F CFA 18.4M

$26.9K ฿909.0K

16.45%

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

$176 F CFA 103.2K

$62.2 ฿2,098

182.64%

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

$26.04 F CFA 15.3K

$12.17 ฿411

113.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 F CFA 31.7K

$20.12 ฿679

168.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.2 F CFA 34.8K

$37.31 ฿1,259

58.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.27 F CFA 4,854

$3.77 ฿127

119.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 F CFA 3,941

$6.49 ฿219

3.39%

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

$33.99 F CFA 20.0K

$736 ฿24.8K

-95.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,080 F CFA 3.6M

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-58.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.58 F CFA 20.3K

$53.4 ฿1,801

-35.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 F CFA 29.7K

$24.64 ฿831

105.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 F CFA 50.7K

$91.5 ฿3,087

-5.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 F CFA 60.4K

$71.9 ฿2,427

42.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 F CFA 198.1K

$482 ฿16.3K

-30.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 F CFA 133.6K

$309 ฿10.4K

-26.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 F CFA 770.3K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

30.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 F CFA 433.7K

$633 ฿21.4K

16.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$849 F CFA 498.8K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-64.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$251 F CFA 147.6K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-84.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$607 F CFA 356.5K

$590 ฿19.9K

2.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

115.44%

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

Last update for Ouagadougou: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ouagadougou

$350 * 30.3%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 33.1% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ouagadougou

$256 22.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 63.1% $161

Accommodation & Living

Ouagadougou

$228 19.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 35.8% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Ouagadougou

$123 10.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 12% $15

Eating Out

Ouagadougou

$123 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 36.9% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Ouagadougou

$73 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 30.8% $22

Getting Around

Ouagadougou

$5.2 * 0.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 1092% $56

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $337 in Ouagadougou 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 run about 3% higher in Ouagadougou, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Ouagadougou versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇫 Ouagadougou

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:48 5:48 PM

00:48 12:48 AM

7 h ahead of Ouagadougou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,915,102 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 587 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ouagadougou Chiang Mai 10,640 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Ouagadougou
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

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

Ouagadougou costs about 24% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,736 per month in Ouagadougou 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 Ouagadougou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Ouagadougou 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 49% more in Ouagadougou, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,158 in Ouagadougou 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 $1,158 in Ouagadougou. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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