Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Denis and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,791 in Saint-Denis, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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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Saint-Denis

🇷🇪 Reunion

$1,791

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,791 per month in Saint-Denis vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Saint-Denis $1,791
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,170 per month in Saint-Denis vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Saint-Denis $3,170
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,549 per month in Saint-Denis vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Saint-Denis $4,549
Chiang Mai $1,979

Saint-Denis costs about 91% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Saint-Denis sits 32% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.21 €11.87

$2.24 ฿75.7

489.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 €70.7

$19.00 ฿642

314.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.42 €13.85

$5.55 ฿188

177.84%

Cappuccino

$3.66 €3.29

$1.67 ฿56.6

119.16%

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

$2.62 €2.36

$0.64 ฿21.56

309.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.27

$0.31 ฿10.32

716.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 €2.98

$2.36 ฿79.6

40.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.31

$3.66 ฿124

31.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.95 ฿65.8

-11.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.68

$1.33 ฿45.07

124.81%

Eggs

$4.71 €4.23

$2.28 ฿77.1

106.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.23 €18.17

$16.45 ฿556

22.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.36 €12.01

$2.78 ฿94.0

380.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.95 €30.49

$9.31 ฿314

264.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 €5.12

$1.50 ฿50.7

280.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

Onion (1kg)

$4.42 €3.97

$1.10 ฿37.22

301.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 €2.02

$0.71 ฿23.84

216.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.71

$0.49 ฿16.38

289.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.15 €10.02

$4.14 ฿140

169.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 €10.91

$17.52 ฿592

-30.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.09

$1.61 ฿54.5

113.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 €3.02

$2.78 ฿94.0

20.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 €2.27

$0.87 ฿29.33

189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.66 €38.33

$54.1 ฿1,827

-21.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.73

$1.45 ฿48.93

32.41%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$147 €132

$62.2 ฿2,100

136.83%

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

$17.33 €15.57

$12.17 ฿411

42.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.64 €39.20

$20.12 ฿680

116.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.02 €33.25

$37.31 ฿1,260

-0.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.24 €11.89

$3.77 ฿127

251.19%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 €10.15

$6.49 ฿219

74.11%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 €129

$53.4 ฿1,802

169.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 €112

$91.5 ฿3,089

36.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €99.4

$71.9 ฿2,429

53.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 €815

$482 ฿16.3K

88.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €594

$309 ฿10.4K

114.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 €1,347

$1,006 ฿34.0K

49.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,906 €1,712

$633 ฿21.4K

200.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,126 €1,910

$590 ฿19.9K

260.56%

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 Saint-Denis: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint-Denis

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Saint-Denis

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Saint-Denis

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint-Denis

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Saint-Denis

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Saint-Denis

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Saint-Denis

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $907 in Saint-Denis versus $482 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 Saint-Denis are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Saint-Denis versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $395 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇪 Saint-Denis

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:13 3:13 AM

06:13 6:13 AM

3 h ahead of Saint-Denis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

154,765 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Saint-Denis Chiang Mai 6,480 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint-Denis
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

Saint-Denis vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint-Denis costs about 91% 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 $2,686 per month in Saint-Denis 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 $482 there versus $907 in Saint-Denis.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Saint-Denis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 68% more in Saint-Denis, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,791 in Saint-Denis and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,791 in Saint-Denis. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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