Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palikir and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,033 in Palikir, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Palikir despite lower rent and utilities.

50

Cost of Living Index in Palikir
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Palikir Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Palikir

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,033

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,033 per month in Palikir vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Palikir $1,033
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,584 per month in Palikir vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Palikir $1,584
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,136 per month in Palikir vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Palikir $2,136
Chiang Mai $1,903

Palikir costs about 12% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Palikir and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Palikir 24% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.07 $30.07

$2.29 ฿77.2

1213.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.32 $45.32

$19.64 ฿663

130.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.13 $6.13

$5.61 ฿189

9.27%

Cappuccino

$3.04 $3.04

$1.66 ฿56.1

83.13%

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

$1.12 $1.12

$0.70 ฿23.62

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.31 ฿10.33

564.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.41 ฿81.2

-57.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.71 ฿125

-46.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.20 $0.20

$1.95 ฿65.9

-89.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.41 ฿47.48

52.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.31 ฿44.04

64.12%

Eggs

$2.46 $2.46

$2.18 ฿73.6

12.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$16.65 ฿562

-73.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.76 ฿93.1

62.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 $6.71

$9.11 ฿307

-26.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.39 ฿80.7

49.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.03 ฿34.59

153.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.63 ฿54.9

36.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.50 ฿50.5

108.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.29 ฿43.54

158.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.11 ฿37.38

92.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.72 ฿24.31

170.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.53 ฿17.76

109.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.72 $17.72

$4.31 ฿145

311.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 $6.78

$17.95 ฿605

-62.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.58 ฿53.4

-8.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.84 ฿95.9

-52.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 $0.78

$0.86 ฿29.14

-9.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.72 $33.72

$53.3 ฿1,798

-36.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.26 $6.26

$1.21 ฿40.67

417.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.57 ฿19.17

187.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.35 ฿79.4

102.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.44 ฿48.42

111.81%

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

$4,049 $4,049

$20.7K ฿699.4K

-80.47%

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

$3,980 $3,980

$26.8K ฿904.2K

-85.15%

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

$39.96 $39.96

$62.3 ฿2,103

-35.89%

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

$15.28 $15.28

$12.11 ฿409

26.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$264 $264

$19.94 ฿673

1225.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.64 $40.64

$37.07 ฿1,251

9.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.70 $19.70

$3.78 ฿127

421.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.84 $6.84

$6.50 ฿219

5.23%

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

$115 $115

$793 ฿26.7K

-85.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,656 $1,656

$14.8K ฿499.6K

-88.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.63 $19.63

$53.7 ฿1,813

-63.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.57 $24.57

$24.62 ฿831

-0.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 $68.8

$90.9 ฿3,065

-24.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.8 $54.8

$71.1 ฿2,400

-23.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿10.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$866 $866

$1,931 ฿65.1K

-55.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$708 $708

$1,445 ฿48.7K

-50.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 $249

$591 ฿19.9K

-57.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

380000

5.57

6822162.12%

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

Last update for Palikir: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palikir

$320 30.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 70.5% $225

Eating Out

Palikir

$317 30.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 75.2% $239

Groceries & Markets

Palikir

$215 20.8%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 9.7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Palikir

$76 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 43.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Palikir

$54 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 7.8% $4.3

Getting Around

Palikir

$51 5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 18.5% $9.5

Accommodation & Living

Palikir

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 137% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Palikir versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Palikir vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Palikir wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇫🇲 Palikir

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:33 11:33 PM

19:33 7:33 PM

4 h behind Palikir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,942 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.93 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Palikir Chiang Mai 6,520 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Palikir
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

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

Palikir costs about 12% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,549 per month in Palikir and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $115 per month in Palikir and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Palikir – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Palikir at $1,033. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Palikir it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,033 in Palikir. 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, Palikir makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.