Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pohnpei and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,662 in Pohnpei, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Pohnpei
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Pohnpei Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Pohnpei

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,662

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,662 per month in Pohnpei vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pohnpei $1,662
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,526 per month in Pohnpei vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pohnpei $2,526
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,390 per month in Pohnpei vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pohnpei $3,390
Chiang Mai $1,979

Pohnpei costs about 78% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Pohnpei sits 22% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.42 $11.42

$2.24 ฿75.7

409.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.11 $45.11

$19.00 ฿642

137.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.55 $7.55

$5.55 ฿188

36.04%

Cappuccino

$2.94 $2.94

$1.67 ฿56.6

76.05%

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

$1.21 $1.21

$0.64 ฿21.56

89.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$0.31 ฿10.32

1158.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.66 ฿124

-18.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.25 $0.25

$1.95 ฿65.8

-87.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 $3.28

$1.44 ฿48.51

127.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.33 ฿45.07

124.06%

Eggs

$7.16 $7.16

$2.28 ฿77.1

214.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 $7.21

$16.45 ฿556

-56.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$2.78 ฿94.0

80.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 $11.70

$9.31 ฿314

25.67%

Apples (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.35 ฿79.5

157.02%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$0.97 ฿32.82

265.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$1.60 ฿53.9

236.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$1.28 ฿43.15

280.47%

Onion (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$1.10 ฿37.22

360.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.83 $3.83

$0.71 ฿23.84

439.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.49 ฿16.38

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.85 $8.85

$4.14 ฿140

113.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$17.52 ฿592

-82.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.78 ฿94.0

-15.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.87 ฿29.33

11.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.16 ฿39.08

323.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.53 ฿17.82

135.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.42 ฿81.8

69.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.45 ฿48.93

151.03%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$134 $134

$62.2 ฿2,100

115.17%

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

$39.34 $39.34

$12.17 ฿411

223.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$200 $200

$20.12 ฿680

895.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.08 $20.08

$37.31 ฿1,260

-46.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.0 $50.0

$3.77 ฿127

1226.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$171 $171

$736 ฿24.9K

-76.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 $80.6

$53.4 ฿1,802

51.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.9 $66.9

$24.64 ฿832

171.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$91.5 ฿3,089

19.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 $97.9

$71.9 ฿2,429

36.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 $890

$482 ฿16.3K

84.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 $625

$309 ฿10.4K

102.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 $1,581

$1,006 ฿34.0K

57.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 $1,203

$633 ฿21.4K

89.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$352 $352

$590 ฿19.9K

-40.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

360000

5.57

6463095.69%

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

Last update for Pohnpei: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pohnpei

$625 37.6%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 50.5% $316

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pohnpei

$373 22.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 74.7% $279

Groceries & Markets

Pohnpei

$293 * 17.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 20.1% $59

Eating Out

Pohnpei

$176 * 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 55.9% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Pohnpei

$160 9.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 32% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Pohnpei

$20 * 1.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 150% $30

Getting Around

Pohnpei

$15 * 0.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 307% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $890 in Pohnpei 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 67% 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 in Pohnpei versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇲 Pohnpei

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

22:11 10:11 PM

4 h behind Pohnpei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,486

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pohnpei Chiang Mai 6,530 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Pohnpei
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

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

Pohnpei costs about 78% 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 $2,493 per month in Pohnpei 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $890 in Pohnpei.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Pohnpei 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 25% more in Pohnpei, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,662 in Pohnpei 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 $1,662 in Pohnpei. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.