Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quebec City and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,854 in Quebec City, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Quebec City
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Quebec City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Quebec City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,854

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,854 per month in Quebec City vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Quebec City $1,854
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,819 per month in Quebec City vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Quebec City $2,819
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $3,784 per month in Quebec City vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Quebec City $3,784
Chiang Mai $1,914

Quebec City costs about 98% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Quebec City sits 37% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 CA$29.20

$2.26 ฿75.4

813.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 CA$93.5

$19.18 ฿641

244.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 CA$15.52

$5.59 ฿187

96.42%

Cappuccino

$3.74 CA$5.29

$1.72 ฿57.6

117.44%

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

$2.06 CA$2.92

$0.64 ฿21.54

221.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 CA$1.98

$0.33 ฿11.18

324.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 CA$7.71

$2.36 ฿78.7

131.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$3.90 ฿130

44.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 CA$2.86

$2.05 ฿68.6

-1.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$1.40 ฿46.70

102.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 CA$5.99

$1.28 ฿42.89

231.25%

Eggs

$3.04 CA$4.29

$2.25 ฿75.3

35.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 CA$12.58

$16.94 ฿566

-47.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.84 CA$15.32

$2.74 ฿91.6

295.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 CA$14.48

$9.36 ฿313

9.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.80

$2.40 ฿80.3

70.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$1.01 ฿33.92

50.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.22

$1.61 ฿53.9

129.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.52

$1.52 ฿50.7

156.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$1.28 ฿42.90

127.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.04

$1.11 ฿37.22

157.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 CA$3.80

$0.72 ฿24.09

273.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$0.52 ฿17.54

184.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.76 CA$20.86

$4.33 ฿145

240.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 CA$15.67

$17.73 ฿593

-37.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$1.63 ฿54.4

87.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 CA$4.59

$2.85 ฿95.3

14.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 CA$4.06

$0.85 ฿28.31

237.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 CA$99.8

$53.9 ฿1,801

30.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$1.17 ฿39.18

140.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$0.57 ฿19.00

145.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.75 CA$49.13

$2.37 ฿79.2

1366.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.45 ฿48.32

-13.10%

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

$27.3K CA$38.6K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

33.37%

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

$21.1K CA$29.8K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-20.41%

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

$97.4 CA$138

$62.3 ฿2,083

56.33%

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

$31.01 CA$43.84

$12.27 ฿410

152.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.26 CA$62.6

$19.97 ฿668

121.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.36 CA$48.58

$37.91 ฿1,267

-9.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.13 CA$21.39

$3.76 ฿126

302.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 CA$15.29

$6.71 ฿224

61.25%

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

$678 CA$958

$797 ฿26.6K

-14.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,045 CA$12.8K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-39.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 CA$81.3

$53.3 ฿1,780

8.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 CA$70.6

$25.05 ฿837

99.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 CA$126

$91.6 ฿3,062

-2.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$148

$73.5 ฿2,455

42.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 CA$1,424

$464 ฿15.5K

117.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 CA$1,077

$305 ฿10.2K

150.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 CA$2,171

$915 ฿30.6K

67.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 CA$1,777

$552 ฿18.5K

127.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,735 CA$6,694

$1,912 ฿63.9K

147.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,669 CA$3,773

$1,438 ฿48.1K

85.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,961 CA$4,186

$595 ฿19.9K

397.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

5.57

-20.29%

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

Last update for Quebec City: 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

Quebec City

$762 41.1%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 60% $457

Groceries & Markets

Quebec City

$340 18.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 30% $102

Eating Out

Quebec City

$295 15.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 73.3% $216

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quebec City

$173 9.3%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 45.2% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Quebec City

$136 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 19.3% $26

Getting Around

Quebec City

$92 5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 33.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Quebec City

$56 3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 8.3% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Quebec City 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 397% higher in Quebec City, 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 $66.0 in Quebec City versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Quebec City

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

03:14 3:14 AM

11 h ahead of Quebec City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

530,168

127,240

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Quebec City Chiang Mai 12,650 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Quebec City
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

Quebec City vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quebec City costs about 98% 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 $2,781 per month in Quebec City 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 $678 per month in Quebec City and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Quebec City, 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 $938, than in Quebec City at $1,854. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Quebec City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,854 in Quebec City. 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, Quebec City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.