Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerset West and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,160 in Somerset West, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Somerset West
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Somerset West Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Somerset West

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,160

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,160 per month in Somerset West vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Somerset West $1,160
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Somerset West vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Somerset West $1,888
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,615 per month in Somerset West vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Somerset West $2,615
Chiang Mai $1,979

Somerset West costs about 24% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Somerset West and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Somerset West 15% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 R 204

$2.24 ฿75.7

445.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.52 R 759

$19.00 ฿642

139.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 R 90.7

$5.55 ฿188

-1.98%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 34.34

$1.67 ฿56.6

23.35%

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

$1.06 R 17.74

$0.64 ฿21.56

65.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R 14.01

$0.31 ฿10.32

170.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 R 42.91

$2.36 ฿79.6

9.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 R 54.5

$3.66 ฿124

-10.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R 17.13

$1.95 ฿65.8

-47.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 R 16.39

$1.44 ฿48.51

-31.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 R 34.70

$1.33 ฿45.07

56.39%

Eggs

$2.28 R 38.00

$2.28 ฿77.1

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 R 139

$16.45 ฿556

-49.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 R 86.3

$2.78 ฿94.0

86.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.22 R 154

$9.31 ฿314

-0.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 R 30.23

$2.35 ฿79.5

-22.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 R 31.47

$0.97 ฿32.82

94.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 R 29.00

$1.60 ฿53.9

8.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 R 28.20

$1.50 ฿50.7

12.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 R 25.23

$1.28 ฿43.15

17.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.48

$1.10 ฿37.22

39.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 R 21.42

$0.71 ฿23.84

81.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R 17.80

$0.49 ฿16.38

118.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 R 56.5

$4.14 ฿140

-18.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 R 98.1

$17.52 ฿592

-66.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.73

$1.61 ฿54.5

-15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 R 29.17

$2.78 ฿94.0

-37.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 R 18.47

$0.87 ฿29.33

27.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.4 R 1,007

$54.1 ฿1,827

11.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.81

$1.16 ฿39.08

-49.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 R 25.72

$0.53 ฿17.82

190.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 R 82.4

$2.42 ฿81.8

104.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 R 23.68

$1.45 ฿48.93

-2.07%

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

$29.3K R 487.5K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

38.93%

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

$29.4K R 489.1K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

8.96%

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

$82.1 R 1,368

$62.2 ฿2,100

32.01%

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

$29.05 R 484

$12.17 ฿411

138.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.47 R 674

$20.12 ฿680

101.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.16 R 736

$37.31 ฿1,260

18.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.43 R 174

$3.77 ฿127

176.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 R 121

$6.49 ฿219

12.17%

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

$251 R 4,175

$736 ฿24.9K

-65.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,596 R 59.9K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-75.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.99 R 516

$53.4 ฿1,802

-41.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 R 522

$24.64 ฿832

27.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.3 R 1,189

$91.5 ฿3,089

-22.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.3 R 939

$71.9 ฿2,429

-21.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 R 10.7K

$482 ฿16.3K

33.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 R 7,095

$309 ฿10.4K

37.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 R 22.3K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

33.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 R 15.6K

$633 ฿21.4K

47.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,221 R 20.3K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-48.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$892 R 14.9K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-43.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,418 R 23.6K

$590 ฿19.9K

140.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

5.57

81.69%

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

Last update for Somerset West: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Somerset West

$426 36.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 27.4% $117

Groceries & Markets

Somerset West

$200 17.2%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 17.4% $35

Eating Out

Somerset West

$166 14.3%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 53.3% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somerset West

$152 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 37.7% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Somerset West

$86 7.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 27.1% $23

Getting Around

Somerset West

$73 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 16.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Somerset West

$59 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 14.4% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $643 in Somerset West 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 Somerset West are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Somerset West versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Somerset West vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Somerset West wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Somerset West

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:05 9:05 PM

02:05 2:05 AM

5 h ahead of Somerset West

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,166

127,240

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Somerset West Chiang Mai 10,300 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Somerset West
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

Somerset West vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Somerset West costs about 24% 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 $1,740 per month in Somerset West 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 $643 in Somerset West.

Kindergarten costs $251 per month in Somerset West and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Somerset West – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,160 in Somerset West 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 $1,160 in Somerset West. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Somerset West makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.