Cost of Living Comparison Between St.James and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between St.James and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $914 per month in St.James vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,615 per month in St.James vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,317 per month in St.James vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

St.James costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both St.James and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – St.James 31% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 TTD 70.0

$2.04 ฿68.4

408.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 TTD 600

$18.71 ฿626

375.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 TTD 50.7

$7.86 ฿263

-4.33%

Cappuccino

$3.64 TTD 24.52

$2.03 ฿67.9

79.31%

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

$1.05 TTD 7.06

$0.80 ฿26.71

31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 TTD 5.29

$0.35 ฿11.71

122.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 TTD 12.19

$2.14 ฿71.7

-15.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 TTD 21.40

$3.67 ฿123

-13.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 TTD 18.14

$1.73 ฿57.8

55.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 TTD 18.93

$1.57 ฿52.5

78.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 TTD 17.67

$1.20 ฿40.10

118.33%

Eggs

$5.04 TTD 34.02

$1.97 ฿66.0

155.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.02 TTD 54.1

$16.23 ฿543

-50.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.23 TTD 69.0

$3.06 ฿102

234.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 TTD 95.4

$10.80 ฿361

30.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 TTD 40.05

$2.77 ฿92.6

114.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 TTD 17.67

$1.17 ฿39.05

123.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 TTD 29.90

$1.71 ฿57.1

159.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 TTD 32.40

$1.59 ฿53.3

201.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 TTD 9.68

$1.39 ฿46.63

3.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 TTD 11.62

$1.16 ฿38.67

48.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 TTD 12.88

$0.66 ฿22.11

189.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TTD 9.41

$0.52 ฿17.35

169.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 TTD 39.49

$4.65 ฿155

25.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.42 TTD 131

$17.78 ฿595

9.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 TTD 14.83

$1.79 ฿59.8

22.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 TTD 18.37

$3.34 ฿112

-18.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿624

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 TTD 6.87

$1.41 ฿47.17

-27.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 TTD 8.67

$1.34 ฿44.82

-4.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 TTD 101

$8.11 ฿271

84.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 TTD 7.35

$1.23 ฿41.27

-11.38%

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

$34.0K TTD 229.4K

$21.4K ฿717.0K

58.63%

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

$38.6K TTD 260.6K

$21.8K ฿730.0K

77.00%

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

$79.3 TTD 535

$71.3 ฿2,386

11.12%

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

$46.15 TTD 311

$14.01 ฿469

229.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 TTD 421

$17.93 ฿600

248.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,365

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 TTD 68.2

$5.72 ฿191

76.75%

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

$325 TTD 2,195

$308 ฿10.3K

5.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,329 TTD 49.4K

$14.7K ฿491.0K

-50.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 TTD 397

$55.8 ฿1,865

5.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.85 TTD 255

$26.04 ฿871

45.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 TTD 970

$84.8 ฿2,837

69.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 TTD 871

$71.0 ฿2,375

81.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,110

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿17.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿49.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

7.60%

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

Last update for St.James: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in St.James versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $244 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

St.James vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St.James costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,370 per month in St.James and $1,279 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in St.James and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 55% more in St.James, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $914 in St.James and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $914 in St.James. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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