Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,562 in Palmerston North, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,562 per month in Palmerston North vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Palmerston North $1,562
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,537 per month in Palmerston North vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Palmerston North $2,537
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $3,511 per month in Palmerston North vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Palmerston North $3,511
Chiang Mai $1,914

Palmerston North costs about 66% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Palmerston North sits 16% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.50 NZ$23.87

$2.26 ฿75.4

497.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

$19.18 ฿641

231.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 NZ$15.56

$5.59 ฿187

57.42%

Cappuccino

$3.13 NZ$5.54

$1.72 ฿57.6

81.98%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.18

$0.64 ฿21.54

268.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 NZ$2.97

$0.33 ฿11.18

409.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 NZ$11.38

$2.36 ฿78.7

172.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 NZ$11.53

$3.90 ฿130

67.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.26

$2.05 ฿68.6

-10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$1.40 ฿46.70

52.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.42

$1.28 ฿42.89

7.03%

Eggs

$4.85 NZ$8.58

$2.25 ฿75.3

115.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 NZ$11.34

$16.94 ฿566

-62.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NZ$16.80

$2.74 ฿91.6

246.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 NZ$19.06

$9.36 ฿313

15.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.48

$2.40 ฿80.3

5.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$1.01 ฿33.92

120.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$1.61 ฿53.9

42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 NZ$9.78

$1.52 ฿50.7

263.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

$1.28 ฿42.90

10.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 NZ$1.53

$1.11 ฿37.22

-22.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 NZ$3.04

$0.72 ฿24.09

138.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 NZ$1.33

$0.52 ฿17.54

44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.06 NZ$39.00

$4.33 ฿145

409.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 NZ$13.99

$17.73 ฿593

-55.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 NZ$4.69

$1.63 ฿54.4

62.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NZ$4.91

$2.85 ฿95.3

-2.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$0.85 ฿28.31

362.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 NZ$146

$53.9 ฿1,801

52.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$1.17 ฿39.18

59.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$0.57 ฿19.00

212.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 NZ$29.40

$2.37 ฿79.2

601.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.90

$1.45 ฿48.32

13.10%

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

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

5.33%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-9.77%

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

$68.2 NZ$121

$62.3 ฿2,083

9.45%

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

$32.09 NZ$56.8

$12.27 ฿410

161.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 NZ$61.3

$19.97 ฿668

73.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.79 NZ$38.54

$37.91 ฿1,267

-42.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 NZ$24.90

$3.76 ฿126

274.47%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 NZ$20.52

$6.71 ฿224

72.88%

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

$1,034 NZ$1,829

$797 ฿26.6K

29.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-42.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$123

$53.3 ฿1,780

30.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.70 NZ$48.98

$25.05 ฿837

10.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 NZ$147

$91.6 ฿3,062

-9.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 NZ$146

$73.5 ฿2,455

12.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 NZ$1,602

$464 ฿15.5K

95.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 NZ$1,129

$305 ฿10.2K

109.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 NZ$2,807

$915 ฿30.6K

73.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 NZ$2,318

$552 ฿18.5K

137.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,023 NZ$3,577

$1,912 ฿63.9K

5.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,836 NZ$3,247

$1,438 ฿48.1K

27.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,494 NZ$4,411

$595 ฿19.9K

319.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.57

-3.23%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palmerston North

$639 40.9%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 52.3% $334

Groceries & Markets

Palmerston North

$283 18.1%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 16% $45

Eating Out

Palmerston North

$233 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 66.1% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palmerston North

$135 8.6%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 29.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Palmerston North

$118 7.6%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 7.4% $8.7

Getting Around

Palmerston North

$109 7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 43.6% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Palmerston North

$45 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 14.1% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $906 in Palmerston North versus $464 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 319% higher in Palmerston North, 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 $64.0 in Palmerston North versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

09:04 9:04 AM

6 h behind Palmerston North

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,500

127,240

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Palmerston North Chiang Mai 10,270 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Palmerston North
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

Palmerston North vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palmerston North costs about 66% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $2,343 per month in Palmerston North and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,034 per month in Palmerston North and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Palmerston North, 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 $938, than in Palmerston North at $1,562. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Palmerston North it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,562 in Palmerston North. 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, Palmerston North makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.