Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,216 in Port Elizabeth, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,216

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,216 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,216
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,835 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,835
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,453 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $2,453
Chiang Mai $1,914

Port Elizabeth costs about 30% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Port Elizabeth and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Port Elizabeth 10% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.00 R 181

$2.26 ฿75.4

386.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.67 R 687

$19.18 ฿641

117.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.84 R 96.2

$5.59 ฿187

4.47%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R 35.81

$1.72 ฿57.6

26.16%

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

$1.03 R 16.91

$0.64 ฿21.54

60.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.59

$0.33 ฿11.18

130.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 R 44.37

$2.36 ฿78.7

13.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R 53.3

$3.90 ฿130

-16.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.39

$2.05 ฿68.6

-45.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.20

$1.40 ฿46.70

-25.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.94

$1.28 ฿42.89

17.97%

Eggs

$2.81 R 46.35

$2.25 ฿75.3

24.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 R 141

$16.94 ฿566

-49.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 R 87.7

$2.74 ฿91.6

94.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 R 138

$9.36 ฿313

-10.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 R 36.04

$2.40 ฿80.3

-8.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.58

$1.01 ฿33.92

47.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.04

$1.61 ฿53.9

5.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.74

$1.52 ฿50.7

19.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.41

$1.28 ฿42.90

29.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.83

$1.11 ฿37.22

30.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R 20.72

$0.72 ฿24.09

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 16.39

$0.52 ฿17.54

90.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 R 53.8

$4.33 ฿145

-24.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 R 79.4

$17.73 ฿593

-72.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.99

$1.63 ฿54.4

-22.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 R 30.00

$2.85 ฿95.3

-36.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 R 18.17

$0.85 ฿28.31

29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.67 R 604

$53.9 ฿1,801

-31.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 R 33.68

$1.17 ฿39.18

74.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 R 8.25

$0.57 ฿19.00

-12.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.45 R 139

$2.37 ฿79.2

256.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 R 24.38

$1.45 ฿48.32

2.07%

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

$35.8K R 589.5K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

74.75%

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

$34.1K R 562.5K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

28.77%

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

$125 R 2,058

$62.3 ฿2,083

100.42%

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

$34.90 R 575

$12.27 ฿410

184.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.55 R 734

$19.97 ฿668

123.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.20 R 530

$37.91 ฿1,267

-15.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.27 R 383

$3.76 ฿126

518.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.74 R 177

$6.71 ฿224

60.06%

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

$177 R 2,924

$797 ฿26.6K

-77.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,046 R 99.6K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-59.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 R 1,193

$53.3 ฿1,780

36.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 R 631

$25.05 ฿837

52.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R 1,806

$91.6 ฿3,062

19.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 R 1,574

$73.5 ฿2,455

30.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 R 9,859

$464 ฿15.5K

28.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 R 6,838

$305 ฿10.2K

36.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 R 13.3K

$915 ฿30.6K

-11.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 R 11.2K

$552 ฿18.5K

23.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$764 R 12.6K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-60.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$522 R 8,604

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-63.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,625 R 26.8K

$595 ฿19.9K

172.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

5.57

114.36%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Elizabeth

$415 34.1%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 26.6% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Elizabeth

$204 16.8%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 53.7% $110

Groceries & Markets

Port Elizabeth

$197 16.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 21% $41

Eating Out

Port Elizabeth

$159 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 50.2% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Port Elizabeth

$142 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 23% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Port Elizabeth

$54 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 4.4% $2.3

Getting Around

Port Elizabeth

$46 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 34.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $598 in Port Elizabeth 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 173% higher in Port Elizabeth, 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 $42.00 in Port Elizabeth versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Port Elizabeth vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Port Elizabeth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

18:37 6:37 PM

5 h ahead of Port Elizabeth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,050,000

127,240

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Elizabeth Chiang Mai 9,720 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Port Elizabeth costs about 30% 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 $1,824 per month in Port Elizabeth 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 $177 per month in Port Elizabeth and $797 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 21% cheaper in Port Elizabeth – 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 $938, than in Port Elizabeth at $1,216. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Elizabeth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,216 in Port Elizabeth. 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 Elizabeth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.