Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough, Canada and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,561 in Scarborough, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,561 per month in Scarborough vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Scarborough $2,561
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,474 per month in Scarborough vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Scarborough $3,474
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,388 per month in Scarborough vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Scarborough $4,388
Chiang Mai $1,979

Scarborough costs about 174% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Scarborough sits 88% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.32 CA$24.20

$2.24 ฿75.6

673.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$98.3

$19.00 ฿641

270.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 CA$15.21

$5.55 ฿187

96.22%

Cappuccino

$3.99 CA$5.57

$1.67 ฿56.5

138.92%

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

$2.03 CA$2.84

$0.64 ฿21.55

217.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.05

$0.31 ฿10.31

374.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.55 CA$9.15

$2.36 ฿79.6

177.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 CA$10.18

$3.66 ฿124

99.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 CA$3.51

$1.95 ฿65.8

28.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 CA$3.68

$1.44 ฿48.48

82.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 CA$3.18

$1.33 ฿45.04

71.43%

Eggs

$3.64 CA$5.09

$2.28 ฿77.1

59.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.14 CA$12.77

$16.45 ฿555

-44.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$15.98

$2.78 ฿93.9

311.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.96 CA$18.11

$9.31 ฿314

39.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 CA$4.79

$2.35 ฿79.4

45.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.69

$0.97 ฿32.80

24.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.67

$1.60 ฿53.9

108.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 CA$5.82

$1.50 ฿50.6

178.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 CA$2.37

$1.28 ฿43.12

32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 CA$2.35

$1.10 ฿37.19

52.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.08

$0.71 ฿23.82

209.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.76

$0.49 ฿16.37

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 CA$19.56

$4.14 ฿140

238.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 CA$17.58

$17.52 ฿591

-28.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CA$3.06

$1.61 ฿54.5

36.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$2.78 ฿94.0

-8.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 CA$3.35

$0.87 ฿29.31

175.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CA$147

$54.1 ฿1,826

93.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.28

$1.16 ฿39.06

163.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 CA$1.79

$0.53 ฿17.80

141.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.52 CA$31.46

$2.42 ฿81.8

830.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.75

$1.45 ฿48.90

-13.79%

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

$26.1K CA$36.5K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

24.15%

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

$21.7K CA$30.4K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-19.37%

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

$137 CA$192

$62.2 ฿2,098

120.93%

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

$35.21 CA$49.20

$12.17 ฿411

189.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.56 CA$67.8

$20.12 ฿679

141.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.87 CA$50.1

$37.31 ฿1,259

-3.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.96 CA$50.2

$3.77 ฿127

853.85%

Cinema Ticket

$12.95 CA$18.10

$6.49 ฿219

99.54%

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

$749 CA$1,047

$736 ฿24.8K

1.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$15.1K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-26.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 CA$74.6

$53.4 ฿1,801

0.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.94 CA$57.2

$24.64 ฿831

66.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 CA$119

$91.5 ฿3,087

-6.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$147

$71.9 ฿2,428

45.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 CA$2,437

$482 ฿16.3K

261.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 CA$1,977

$309 ฿10.4K

358.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,122 CA$2,965

$1,006 ฿33.9K

110.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 CA$2,456

$633 ฿21.4K

177.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,770 CA$10.9K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

228.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,085 CA$8,501

$1,589 ฿53.6K

282.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,980 CA$4,163

$590 ฿19.9K

405.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

5.57

-18.31%

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

Last update for Scarborough: 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

Scarborough

$1.4K 55.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 78.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Scarborough

$331 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 29.2% $96

Eating Out

Scarborough

$280 11%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 72.3% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scarborough

$221 8.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 57.3% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Scarborough

$128 5%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 15.1% $19

Getting Around

Scarborough

$124 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 50.5% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Scarborough

$62 2.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 18.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,744 in Scarborough 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 Scarborough are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Scarborough versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

19:33 7:33 PM

12 h ahead of Scarborough

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,960

127,240

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Scarborough Chiang Mai 13,060 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Scarborough
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

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

Scarborough costs about 174% 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 $3,841 per month in Scarborough 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 $1,744 in Scarborough.

Kindergarten costs $749 per month in Scarborough and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Scarborough, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,561 in Scarborough 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 $2,561 in Scarborough. 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, Scarborough makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.