Cost of Living Comparison Between Quatre Bornes and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Quatre Bornes and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Quatre Bornes vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,340 per month in Quatre Bornes vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,814 per month in Quatre Bornes vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Quatre Bornes costs about 1% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Quatre Bornes and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Quatre Bornes 35% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.94 MUR 185

$1.96 ฿65.7

101.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.86 MUR 1,027

$18.35 ฿616

19.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 MUR 260

$7.48 ฿251

-26.20%

Cappuccino

$2.59 MUR 122

$2.02 ฿67.7

28.22%

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

$0.74 MUR 34.73

$0.85 ฿28.45

-12.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 MUR 16.19

$0.36 ฿11.94

-5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.14 ฿71.7

5.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 MUR 154

$3.59 ฿121

-8.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MUR 60.8

$1.65 ฿55.4

-21.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 MUR 26.58

$1.57 ฿52.6

-63.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 62.5

$1.19 ฿39.95

11.76%

Eggs

$2.12 MUR 99.5

$1.94 ฿65.0

9.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.09 MUR 145

$16.19 ฿544

-80.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 MUR 182

$2.99 ฿100

29.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 MUR 422

$10.94 ฿367

-17.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 MUR 84.7

$2.71 ฿91.0

-33.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 MUR 81.0

$1.17 ฿39.18

47.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 MUR 70.7

$1.69 ฿56.6

-11.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 MUR 127

$1.60 ฿53.9

68.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 47.32

$1.38 ฿46.45

-26.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 47.63

$1.20 ฿40.38

-15.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 MUR 38.05

$0.67 ฿22.46

20.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MUR 35.67

$0.56 ฿18.70

35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.01 MUR 283

$4.64 ฿156

29.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.42 MUR 396

$17.62 ฿591

-52.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MUR 43.42

$1.86 ฿62.4

-50.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 MUR 67.8

$3.30 ฿111

-56.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MUR 37.44

$0.88 ฿29.63

-9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿649

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 MUR 208

$1.36 ฿45.82

225.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 MUR 126

$1.34 ฿44.90

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.61 MUR 922

$8.21 ฿276

138.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MUR 69.0

$1.22 ฿41.11

20.49%

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

$20.0K MUR 942.1K

$21.4K ฿716.8K

-6.13%

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

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

$22.5K ฿756.3K

28.22%

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

$44.11 MUR 2,073

$70.7 ฿2,372

-37.58%

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

$10.88 MUR 511

$14.04 ฿471

-22.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 MUR 1,518

$17.49 ฿587

84.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.09 MUR 1,414

$42.15 ฿1,415

-28.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.92 MUR 419

$6.88 ฿231

29.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.00 MUR 282

$5.92 ฿199

1.35%

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

$124 MUR 5,841

$309 ฿10.4K

-59.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,957 MUR 186.0K

$14.9K ฿499.5K

-73.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 MUR 4,023

$55.8 ฿1,872

53.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.6 MUR 3,739

$26.11 ฿877

204.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 MUR 6,118

$83.0 ฿2,787

56.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.3 MUR 4,478

$70.5 ฿2,365

35.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 MUR 16.9K

$432 ฿14.5K

-17.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 MUR 12.6K

$239 ฿8,020

12.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 MUR 28.3K

$822 ฿27.6K

-26.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$496 MUR 23.3K

$512 ฿17.2K

-3.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,162 MUR 54.6K

$1,915 ฿64.3K

-39.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$526 MUR 24.7K

$579 ฿19.4K

-9.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

29.20%

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

Last update for Quatre Bornes: July 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $359 in Quatre Bornes versus $432 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 10% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Quatre Bornes versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $168 in Quatre Bornes vs $243 in Chiang Mai – so Quatre Bornes 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

Quatre Bornes vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quatre Bornes costs about 1% 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 $1,300 per month in Quatre Bornes and $1,292 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Quatre Bornes and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 44% cheaper in Quatre Bornes – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Quatre Bornes and $861 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $861 versus $866 in Quatre Bornes. 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, Quatre Bornes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.