Cost of Living Comparison Between Portmore and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Portmore and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,102 per month in Portmore vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,849 per month in Portmore vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,595 per month in Portmore vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Portmore costs about 29% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Portmore and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Portmore 17% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.80 JMD 755

$2.04 ฿68.3

135.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 JMD 9,810

$18.71 ฿625

233.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 JMD 1,365

$7.86 ฿262

10.43%

Cappuccino

$4.41 JMD 693

$2.03 ฿67.8

117.24%

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

$0.63 JMD 98.7

$0.80 ฿26.67

-21.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 JMD 78.9

$0.35 ฿11.69

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 JMD 289

$2.14 ฿71.6

-14.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 JMD 354

$3.67 ฿123

-38.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 JMD 487

$1.73 ฿57.7

79.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 JMD 558

$1.57 ฿52.5

126.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 JMD 160

$1.20 ฿40.04

-15.00%

Eggs

$3.58 JMD 563

$1.97 ฿65.9

81.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 JMD 1,707

$16.23 ฿542

-33.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 JMD 973

$3.06 ฿102

102.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 JMD 1,175

$10.80 ฿361

-30.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 JMD 929

$2.77 ฿92.5

113.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 JMD 470

$1.17 ฿38.99

155.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 JMD 453

$1.71 ฿57.0

68.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 JMD 478

$1.59 ฿53.2

91.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 JMD 330

$1.39 ฿46.56

51.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 JMD 302

$1.16 ฿38.61

65.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 JMD 239

$0.66 ฿22.08

130.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 JMD 200

$0.52 ฿17.33

144.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.66 JMD 1,361

$4.65 ฿155

86.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.16 JMD 1,754

$17.78 ฿594

-37.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 440

$1.79 ฿59.7

56.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 JMD 335

$3.34 ฿112

-36.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 JMD 250

$0.91 ฿30.30

74.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 JMD 9,968

$18.64 ฿623

240.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 JMD 146

$1.41 ฿47.10

-34.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 507

$1.34 ฿44.76

140.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 JMD 1,011

$8.11 ฿271

-20.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 JMD 171

$1.23 ฿41.21

-11.38%

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

$42.4K JMD 6.7M

$21.4K ฿715.9K

97.62%

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

$33.6K JMD 5.3M

$21.8K ฿728.9K

53.91%

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

$156 JMD 24.6K

$71.3 ฿2,382

119.33%

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

$21.70 JMD 3,411

$14.01 ฿468

54.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 JMD 8,082

$17.93 ฿599

186.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,363

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 JMD 2,081

$5.72 ฿191

131.47%

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

$227 JMD 35.6K

$308 ฿10.3K

-26.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,450 JMD 385.1K

$14.7K ฿490.3K

-83.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.67 JMD 4,035

$55.8 ฿1,863

-53.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.00 JMD 4,087

$26.04 ฿870

-0.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.3 JMD 11.2K

$84.8 ฿2,833

-15.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

$71.0 ฿2,371

8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$310 JMD 48.8K

$423 ฿14.1K

-26.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 JMD 35.0K

$242 ฿8,098

-8.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 JMD 103.9K

$797 ฿26.6K

-17.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 JMD 91.7K

$507 ฿16.9K

15.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,530 JMD 1.2M

$1,918 ฿64.1K

292.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,860 JMD 921.2K

$1,464 ฿48.9K

300.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,312 JMD 206.3K

$595 ฿19.9K

120.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

83.00%

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

Last update for Portmore: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $310 in Portmore versus $423 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 121% higher in Portmore, 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 $62.0 in Portmore versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $317 vs $244 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Portmore costs about 29% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,653 per month in Portmore and $1,279 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 $227 per month in Portmore and $308 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Portmore, 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 $852, than in Portmore at $1,102. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Portmore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $1,102 in Portmore. 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, Portmore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.