Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quesnel and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,330 in Quesnel, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Quesnel
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Quesnel Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Quesnel

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,330

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,330 per month in Quesnel vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Quesnel $2,330
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,279 per month in Quesnel vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Quesnel $3,279
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $4,227 per month in Quesnel vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Quesnel $4,227
Chiang Mai $1,914

Quesnel costs about 148% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Quesnel sits 73% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.27 CA$23.00

$2.26 ฿75.4

619.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.91 CA$63.5

$19.18 ฿641

134.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 CA$15.41

$5.59 ฿187

94.99%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.69

$1.72 ฿57.6

133.72%

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

$2.38 CA$3.36

$0.64 ฿21.54

271.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 CA$2.81

$0.33 ฿11.18

503.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 CA$6.37

$2.36 ฿78.7

90.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 CA$8.12

$3.90 ฿130

47.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$2.05 ฿68.6

10.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 CA$3.46

$1.40 ฿46.70

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.59

$1.28 ฿42.89

208.59%

Eggs

$4.66 CA$6.59

$2.25 ฿75.3

107.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.82 CA$16.72

$16.94 ฿566

-30.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.49 CA$23.31

$2.74 ฿91.6

501.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.55 CA$23.40

$9.36 ฿313

76.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.72

$2.40 ฿80.3

68.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 CA$1.82

$1.01 ฿33.92

27.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 CA$6.17

$1.61 ฿53.9

170.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 CA$6.03

$1.52 ฿50.7

180.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 CA$4.30

$1.28 ฿42.90

137.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.15

$1.11 ฿37.22

227.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$0.72 ฿24.09

241.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$0.52 ฿17.54

230.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 CA$16.78

$4.33 ฿145

174.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 CA$14.79

$17.73 ฿593

-41.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$1.63 ฿54.4

56.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 CA$4.58

$2.85 ฿95.3

13.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$0.85 ฿28.31

161.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 CA$78.7

$53.9 ฿1,801

3.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 CA$3.53

$1.17 ฿39.18

112.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 CA$3.03

$0.57 ฿19.00

277.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.45 CA$58.6

$2.37 ฿79.2

1648.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.76

$1.45 ฿48.32

-14.48%

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

$28.6K CA$40.4K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

39.65%

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

$22.1K CA$31.2K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-16.64%

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

$172 CA$243

$62.3 ฿2,083

176.16%

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

$38.46 CA$54.4

$12.27 ฿410

213.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 CA$97.7

$19.97 ฿668

246.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.54 CA$57.3

$37.91 ฿1,267

6.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$25.89

$3.76 ฿126

386.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.26 CA$10.26

$6.71 ฿224

8.20%

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

$736 CA$1,041

$797 ฿26.6K

-7.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K CA$17.5K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-16.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.45 CA$51.5

$53.3 ฿1,780

-31.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.75 CA$64.7

$25.05 ฿837

82.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 CA$108

$91.6 ฿3,062

-16.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$151

$73.5 ฿2,455

45.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 CA$1,089

$464 ฿15.5K

66.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 CA$1,601

$305 ฿10.2K

271.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,910 CA$2,701

$915 ฿30.6K

108.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 CA$2,353

$552 ฿18.5K

201.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,754 CA$5,306

$1,912 ฿63.9K

96.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,780 CA$5,344

$1,438 ฿48.1K

162.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,424 CA$3,427

$595 ฿19.9K

307.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.35

5.57

-3.95%

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

Last update for Quesnel: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Quesnel

$1.1K 48.6%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 73.1% $828

Groceries & Markets

Quesnel

$403 17.3%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 41% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quesnel

$280 12%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 66.2% $185

Eating Out

Quesnel

$263 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 69.9% $184

Clothing & Footwear

Quesnel

$120 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 8.4% $10

Getting Around

Quesnel

$78 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 21.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Quesnel

$55 2.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 6.8% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $771 in Quesnel 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 307% higher in Quesnel, 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 $45.00 in Quesnel versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Quesnel

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

03:30 3:30 AM

14 h ahead of Quesnel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,007

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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Quesnel Chiang Mai 11,100 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Quesnel
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

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

Quesnel costs about 148% 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 $3,495 per month in Quesnel 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 $736 per month in Quesnel 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 69% more in Quesnel, 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 Quesnel at $2,330. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Quesnel it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,330 in Quesnel. 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, Quesnel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.