Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Louis and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Port Louis and in Chiang Mai: $951 and $938 a month, rent and utilities included.

46

Cost of Living Index in Port Louis
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Port Louis Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Port Louis

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$951

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $951 per month in Port Louis vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Louis $951
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,568 per month in Port Louis vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Louis $1,568
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,184 per month in Port Louis vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Louis $2,184
Chiang Mai $1,914

Port Louis costs about 1% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.83 MUR 275

$2.26 ฿75.4

157.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.47 MUR 1,764

$19.18 ฿641

95.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 MUR 355

$5.59 ฿187

34.70%

Cappuccino

$2.64 MUR 124

$1.72 ฿57.6

53.49%

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

$1.17 MUR 55.2

$0.64 ฿21.54

82.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MUR 32.12

$0.33 ฿11.18

106.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 MUR 121

$2.36 ฿78.7

8.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MUR 219

$3.90 ฿130

19.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MUR 73.2

$2.05 ฿68.6

-24.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 MUR 36.27

$1.40 ฿46.70

-45.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 MUR 54.1

$1.28 ฿42.89

-10.16%

Eggs

$2.66 MUR 125

$2.25 ฿75.3

18.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.21 MUR 245

$16.94 ฿566

-69.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 MUR 304

$2.74 ฿91.6

135.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.01 MUR 518

$9.36 ฿313

17.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MUR 127

$2.40 ฿80.3

12.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 MUR 121

$1.01 ฿33.92

154.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 MUR 67.8

$1.61 ฿53.9

-10.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 MUR 137

$1.52 ฿50.7

91.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 MUR 43.74

$1.28 ฿42.90

-27.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 44.65

$1.11 ฿37.22

-14.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 MUR 32.05

$0.72 ฿24.09

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 MUR 41.92

$0.52 ฿17.54

71.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 MUR 296

$4.33 ฿145

45.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 MUR 390

$17.73 ฿593

-53.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MUR 75.7

$1.63 ฿54.4

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.85 ฿95.3

-20.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 MUR 47.95

$0.85 ฿28.31

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.98 MUR 1,506

$53.9 ฿1,801

-40.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 MUR 202

$1.17 ฿39.18

266.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.24 MUR 152

$0.57 ฿19.00

468.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.17 MUR 997

$2.37 ฿79.2

793.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 MUR 65.2

$1.45 ฿48.32

-4.83%

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

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

78.64%

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

$31.2K MUR 1.5M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

17.57%

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

$44.04 MUR 2,073

$62.3 ฿2,083

-29.34%

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

$10.43 MUR 491

$12.27 ฿410

-15.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.44 MUR 1,339

$19.97 ฿668

42.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.34 MUR 1,240

$37.91 ฿1,267

-30.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.91 MUR 184

$3.76 ฿126

3.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 MUR 296

$6.71 ฿224

-6.26%

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

$126 MUR 5,941

$797 ฿26.6K

-84.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,555 MUR 355.7K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-49.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.4 MUR 3,594

$53.3 ฿1,780

43.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.7 MUR 3,467

$25.05 ฿837

194.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 MUR 5,674

$91.6 ฿3,062

31.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 MUR 3,667

$73.5 ฿2,455

6.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 MUR 22.6K

$464 ฿15.5K

3.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 MUR 12.7K

$305 ฿10.2K

-11.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 MUR 35.8K

$915 ฿30.6K

-16.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 MUR 28.2K

$552 ฿18.5K

8.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,117 MUR 193.8K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

115.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,056 MUR 49.7K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-26.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$695 MUR 32.7K

$595 ฿19.9K

16.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.57

19.75%

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

Last update for Port Louis: October 11, 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 Louis

$269 28.3%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 13.1% $35

Groceries & Markets

Port Louis

$216 22.7%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 10.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Port Louis

$157 16.5%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 30.1% $47

Eating Out

Port Louis

$130 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 39.4% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Louis

$83 8.7%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 14.1% $12

Getting Around

Port Louis

$57 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 8.5% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Port Louis

$39 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 31.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $480 in Port Louis 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 17% higher in Port Louis, 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 $37.00 in Port Louis versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $216 in Port Louis vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Port Louis wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇺 Port Louis

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

11:20 11:20 AM

3 h ahead of Port Louis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

147,688 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MUR – Mauritian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇺 Mauritian Rupee (₨)

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 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 MUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Louis Chiang Mai 6,260 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Port Louis costs about 1% 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 $1,426 per month in Port Louis 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 $126 per month in Port Louis 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 10% cheaper in Port Louis – 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 Louis at $951. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Louis it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $951 in Port Louis. 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 Louis makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.