Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Louis and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Louis and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $946 per month in Port Louis vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,560 per month in Port Louis vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,174 per month in Port Louis vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Port Louis and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Port Louis and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Port Louis 31% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.79 MUR 272

$2.08 ฿69.2

178.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.47 MUR 1,810

$19.64 ฿651

95.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 MUR 354

$5.65 ฿188

33.27%

Cappuccino

$2.68 MUR 126

$1.81 ฿59.9

48.07%

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

$1.13 MUR 53.0

$0.71 ฿23.66

59.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 MUR 29.64

$0.32 ฿10.48

96.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 MUR 127

$2.24 ฿74.2

20.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 MUR 226

$3.63 ฿121

32.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MUR 72.8

$1.96 ฿65.0

-20.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 MUR 36.83

$1.50 ฿49.83

-48.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 MUR 54.3

$1.34 ฿44.32

-14.18%

Eggs

$2.58 MUR 121

$2.26 ฿75.1

14.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.41 MUR 254

$16.26 ฿539

-66.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.40 MUR 301

$2.95 ฿98.0

116.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.20 MUR 527

$9.94 ฿330

12.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 MUR 133

$2.57 ฿85.3

10.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 MUR 123

$1.06 ฿35.04

147.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 MUR 66.0

$1.61 ฿53.5

-13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 MUR 143

$1.52 ฿50.4

100.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MUR 46.79

$1.27 ฿42.14

-22.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MUR 43.89

$1.07 ฿35.37

-13.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 MUR 35.13

$0.72 ฿23.89

4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 MUR 39.41

$0.51 ฿16.87

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 MUR 308

$4.19 ฿139

56.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 MUR 405

$17.87 ฿593

-51.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MUR 79.7

$1.69 ฿56.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 MUR 109

$2.84 ฿94.1

-18.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 MUR 46.60

$0.93 ฿30.70

6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.44 MUR 1,526

$53.9 ฿1,787

-39.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 MUR 203

$1.23 ฿40.95

250.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 MUR 151

$0.58 ฿19.13

453.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.36 MUR 1,005

$2.42 ฿80.4

782.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MUR 62.9

$1.41 ฿46.84

-4.96%

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

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

$21.4K ฿711.3K

69.43%

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

$30.8K MUR 1.4M

$27.3K ฿906.7K

12.64%

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

$44.96 MUR 2,115

$63.7 ฿2,112

-29.39%

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

$10.48 MUR 493

$12.85 ฿426

-18.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.81 MUR 1,356

$20.22 ฿671

42.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.73 MUR 1,258

$38.74 ฿1,285

-31.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.85 MUR 181

$3.97 ฿132

-3.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 MUR 297

$6.74 ฿223

-6.38%

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

$130 MUR 6,099

$778 ฿25.8K

-83.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,821 MUR 368.0K

$14.6K ฿484.6K

-46.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 MUR 3,670

$54.3 ฿1,801

43.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.7 MUR 3,468

$25.45 ฿844

189.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 MUR 5,727

$94.3 ฿3,129

29.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 MUR 3,698

$73.4 ฿2,436

7.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 MUR 23.0K

$490 ฿16.2K

-0.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 MUR 12.9K

$289 ฿9,596

-5.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 MUR 36.6K

$894 ฿29.6K

-13.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 MUR 28.1K

$517 ฿17.1K

15.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 MUR 192.8K

$1,955 ฿64.9K

109.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,055 MUR 49.6K

$1,477 ฿49.0K

-28.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$682 MUR 32.1K

$602 ฿20.0K

13.29%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in Port Louis versus $490 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 13% higher in Port Louis. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Port Louis versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $219 in Port Louis vs $240 in Chiang Mai – so Port Louis wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,419 per month in Port Louis and $1,421 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Port Louis and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 66% less in Port Louis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Louis, where all-in costs run around $946, than in Chiang Mai at $947. In Port Louis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Port Louis costs $946 versus $947 in Chiang Mai. 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 Port Louis. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.