Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Road Town and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,593 in Road Town, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Road Town

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,593

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,593 per month in Road Town vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Road Town $2,593
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $4,460 per month in Road Town vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Road Town $4,460
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $6,327 per month in Road Town vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Road Town $6,327
Chiang Mai $1,999

Road Town costs about 177% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Road Town sits 92% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.47 $17.47

$2.13 ฿71.8

720.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 $80.2

$18.62 ฿626

330.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 $7.92

$5.60 ฿188

41.43%

Cappuccino

$4.60 $4.60

$1.66 ฿55.9

177.11%

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

$1.67 $1.67

$0.65 ฿21.75

156.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.30 ฿10.25

226.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.32 ฿78.1

75.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$3.67 ฿123

-50.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.02 ฿67.8

11.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.41 ฿47.34

234.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.39 ฿46.79

119.42%

Eggs

$5.02 $5.02

$2.37 ฿79.6

111.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.40 ฿80.6

53.75%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$1.04 ฿35.01

225.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.66 ฿55.8

22.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.63 $6.63

$1.56 ฿52.4

325.00%

Potato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$1.24 ฿41.61

286.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$1.09 ฿36.53

263.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.24 $6.24

$0.76 ฿25.61

721.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.51 ฿17.29

274.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.37 $5.37

$4.12 ฿139

30.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 $10.95

$17.93 ฿603

-38.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 $4.37

$0.93 ฿31.42

369.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.47 ฿49.51

-16.33%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

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

$160 $160

$62.6 ฿2,103

155.91%

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

$90.3 $90.3

$11.60 ฿390

678.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$124 $124

$20.30 ฿683

513.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$118 $118

$37.88 ฿1,274

211.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.09 $20.09

$3.70 ฿124

442.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 $9.82

$6.51 ฿219

50.84%

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

$377 $377

$727 ฿24.4K

-48.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K $15.0K

$16.6K ฿557.2K

-9.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.66 $46.66

$53.5 ฿1,800

-12.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 $54.5

$24.80 ฿834

119.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$90.4 ฿3,039

41.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$72.0 ฿2,420

95.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 $1,695

$481 ฿16.2K

252.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 $1,369

$310 ฿10.4K

341.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,311 $4,311

$1,058 ฿35.6K

307.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,608 $3,608

$659 ฿22.1K

447.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,698 $1,698

$595 ฿20.0K

185.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Road Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Road Town

–

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Groceries & Markets

Road Town

–

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Road Town

–

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Road Town

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Road Town

–

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Getting Around

Road Town

–

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Road Town

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,695 in Road Town versus $481 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 in Road Town are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Road Town versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇬 Road Town

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

19:43 7:43 PM

11 h ahead of Road Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,603 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Road Town Chiang Mai 15,510 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Road Town
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

Road Town vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Road Town costs about 177% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,889 per month in Road Town and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,695 in Road Town.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Road Town and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Road Town, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,593 in Road Town and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Road Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.