Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John's and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,811 in Saint John’s, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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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Saint John's

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda

$1,811

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,811 per month in Saint John’s vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Saint John's $1,811
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,821 per month in Saint John’s vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Saint John's $2,821
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $3,831 per month in Saint John’s vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Saint John's $3,831
Chiang Mai $1,999

Saint John’s costs about 94% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Saint John’s sits 34% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.46 EC$44.45

$2.13 ฿71.9

672.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 EC$152

$18.62 ฿628

201.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 EC$25.51

$5.60 ฿189

68.75%

Cappuccino

$3.68 EC$9.93

$1.66 ฿56.0

121.69%

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

$1.90 EC$5.14

$0.65 ฿21.80

192.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 EC$3.21

$0.30 ฿10.28

296.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 EC$6.67

$2.32 ฿78.3

6.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 EC$11.96

$3.67 ฿124

20.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 EC$6.05

$2.02 ฿67.9

10.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 EC$7.44

$1.41 ฿47.45

95.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 EC$4.89

$1.39 ฿46.90

30.22%

Eggs

$6.54 EC$17.67

$2.37 ฿79.8

175.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.69 EC$23.46

$16.52 ฿557

-47.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 EC$21.53

$2.67 ฿90.0

198.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 EC$33.01

$9.02 ฿304

35.59%

Apples (1kg)

$6.36 EC$17.19

$2.40 ฿80.8

165.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 EC$6.76

$1.04 ฿35.09

140.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.34 EC$22.52

$1.66 ฿55.9

402.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.35 EC$22.55

$1.56 ฿52.5

435.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 EC$7.60

$1.24 ฿41.71

126.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 EC$7.78

$1.09 ฿36.62

164.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 EC$7.11

$0.76 ฿25.67

247.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 EC$4.30

$0.51 ฿17.33

211.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 EC$15.25

$17.93 ฿604

-68.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 EC$5.15

$1.62 ฿54.7

17.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 EC$9.03

$2.82 ฿95.1

18.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,782

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.65

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 EC$4.44

$1.47 ฿49.63

12.24%

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

$21.0K ฿708.1K

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

$26.5K ฿893.6K

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

$259 EC$701

$62.6 ฿2,108

314.74%

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

$41.21 EC$111

$11.60 ฿391

255.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.4 EC$222

$20.30 ฿684

305.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 EC$175

$37.88 ฿1,277

71.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$6.12 EC$16.53

$6.51 ฿219

-5.99%

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

$188 EC$508

$727 ฿24.5K

-74.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,842 EC$4,972

$16.6K ฿558.5K

-88.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 EC$136

$53.5 ฿1,804

-5.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 EC$202

$90.4 ฿3,046

-17.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,425

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 EC$2,805

$481 ฿16.2K

115.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 EC$1,830

$310 ฿10.4K

118.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 EC$4,547

$1,058 ฿35.7K

59.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 EC$3,927

$659 ฿22.2K

120.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,366 EC$3,688

$595 ฿20.0K

129.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

5.57

-1.26%

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

Last update for Saint John's: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint John's

–

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Groceries & Markets

Saint John's

–

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John's

–

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John's

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Saint John's

–

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Getting Around

Saint John's

–

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John's

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,039 in Saint John’s 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 Saint John’s are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Saint John’s versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇬 Saint John's

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:38 8:38 AM

19:38 7:38 PM

11 h ahead of Saint John's

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,926 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.02 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Saint John's Chiang Mai 15,510 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint John's
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 John's vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint John’s costs about 94% 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 $2,717 per month in Saint John’s 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 $1,039 in Saint John’s.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Saint John’s 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 60% more in Saint John’s, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,811 in Saint John’s and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $935 versus $1,811 in Saint John’s. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Saint John’s makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.