Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Alberni and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,693 in Port Alberni, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Port Alberni
Learn more

Port Alberni Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Port Alberni

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,693

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,693 per month in Port Alberni vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Alberni $1,693
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,834 per month in Port Alberni vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Alberni $2,834
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,976 per month in Port Alberni vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Alberni $3,976
Chiang Mai $1,903

Port Alberni costs about 83% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Port Alberni sits 25% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.06 CA$25.54

$2.29 ฿76.5

688.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 CA$89.4

$19.64 ฿656

221.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 CA$14.86

$5.61 ฿188

87.34%

Cappuccino

$4.00 CA$5.65

$1.66 ฿55.6

140.96%

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

$2.12 CA$2.99

$0.70 ฿23.40

202.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$0.31 ฿10.24

364.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 CA$4.92

$2.41 ฿80.4

44.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 CA$7.69

$3.71 ฿124

46.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$1.95 ฿65.3

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 CA$3.26

$1.41 ฿47.03

63.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.10

$1.31 ฿43.62

121.37%

Eggs

$3.92 CA$5.54

$2.18 ฿72.9

79.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 CA$12.76

$16.65 ฿556

-45.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 CA$6.06

$2.76 ฿92.2

55.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.98 CA$28.24

$9.11 ฿304

119.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.89

$2.39 ฿80.0

15.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 CA$1.53

$1.03 ฿34.26

4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 CA$4.86

$1.63 ฿54.4

111.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

$1.50 ฿50.0

141.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$1.29 ฿43.13

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 CA$2.64

$1.11 ฿37.03

68.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 CA$3.05

$0.72 ฿24.08

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 CA$1.05

$0.53 ฿17.59

41.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.52 CA$14.87

$4.31 ฿144

144.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 CA$14.96

$17.95 ฿600

-41.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$1.58 ฿52.9

62.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 CA$4.08

$2.84 ฿95.0

1.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$0.86 ฿28.86

68.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.08 CA$48.17

$53.3 ฿1,780

-36.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.84

$1.21 ฿40.29

123.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 CA$2.26

$0.57 ฿18.99

180.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.40 CA$44.39

$2.35 ฿78.6

1236.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.44 ฿47.96

-15.97%

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

$27.3K CA$38.5K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

31.49%

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

$21.0K CA$29.6K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-21.79%

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

$81.5 CA$115

$62.3 ฿2,083

30.68%

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

$36.54 CA$51.7

$12.11 ฿405

201.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 CA$73.4

$19.94 ฿666

160.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.88 CA$59.2

$37.07 ฿1,239

12.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.83

$6.50 ฿217

94.00%

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

$1,088 CA$1,538

$793 ฿26.5K

37.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

36.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 CA$83.2

$53.7 ฿1,796

9.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.95 CA$46.58

$24.62 ฿823

33.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 CA$135

$90.9 ฿3,036

5.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 CA$133

$71.1 ฿2,378

32.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 CA$1,114

$455 ฿15.2K

73.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 CA$1,005

$298 ฿9,954

138.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 CA$2,399

$908 ฿30.4K

86.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CA$2,390

$554 ฿18.5K

205.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,103 CA$4,387

$591 ฿19.7K

425.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

5.57

-23.16%

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

Last update for Port Alberni: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Alberni

$711 42%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 58.1% $413

Groceries & Markets

Port Alberni

$301 17.8%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 21.8% $65

Eating Out

Port Alberni

$267 15.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 70.5% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Alberni

$170 10%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 44.5% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Port Alberni

$127 7.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 14.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Port Alberni

$67 4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 25.4% $17

Getting Around

Port Alberni

$51 3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 20.1% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Port Alberni versus $455 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 425% higher in Port Alberni, 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 $63.0 in Port Alberni versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Port Alberni

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:50 6:50 PM

08:50 8:50 AM

14 h ahead of Port Alberni

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,743

127,240

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Alberni Chiang Mai 11,310 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Alberni
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

Port Alberni vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Alberni costs about 83% 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 $2,540 per month in Port Alberni and $1,388 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 $1,088 per month in Port Alberni and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Port Alberni, 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 $925, than in Port Alberni at $1,693. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Alberni it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,693 in Port Alberni. 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, Port Alberni makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.