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 $936 per month in St.James vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,628 per month in St.James vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,320 per month in St.James vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

St.James costs about 10% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both St.James and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – St.James 30% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.25 TTD 69.6

$1.96 ฿64.0

422.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.4 TTD 607

$18.81 ฿615

375.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 TTD 50.7

$7.92 ฿259

-5.81%

Cappuccino

$3.67 TTD 24.95

$1.91 ฿62.6

92.15%

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

$1.09 TTD 7.39

$0.84 ฿27.41

29.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TTD 5.58

$0.35 ฿11.51

134.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 TTD 12.41

$2.21 ฿72.1

-17.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 TTD 20.62

$3.80 ฿124

-20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 TTD 18.19

$1.64 ฿53.5

63.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 TTD 19.07

$1.62 ฿53.1

73.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 TTD 17.54

$1.18 ฿38.62

118.64%

Eggs

$5.04 TTD 34.24

$2.01 ฿65.8

150.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.99 TTD 54.3

$15.89 ฿520

-49.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.50 TTD 71.3

$3.01 ฿98.5

248.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 TTD 95.9

$10.77 ฿352

31.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.85 TTD 39.71

$2.61 ฿85.5

124.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 TTD 17.83

$1.22 ฿39.88

115.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 TTD 29.43

$1.70 ฿55.7

154.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 TTD 31.80

$1.58 ฿51.5

196.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 TTD 10.12

$1.32 ฿43.14

12.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 TTD 11.32

$1.17 ฿38.23

42.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 TTD 12.82

$0.67 ฿21.98

182.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TTD 9.52

$0.56 ฿18.32

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 TTD 39.26

$4.53 ฿148

27.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 TTD 131

$18.20 ฿595

6.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 TTD 14.25

$1.83 ฿60.0

14.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 TTD 18.29

$3.23 ฿106

-16.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 TTD 7.13

$1.35 ฿44.20

-22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 TTD 8.41

$1.35 ฿44.05

-8.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.98 TTD 102

$8.25 ฿270

81.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 TTD 7.79

$1.27 ฿41.64

-9.45%

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

$34.2K TTD 232.0K

$21.2K ฿691.8K

61.47%

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

$39.0K TTD 265.0K

$22.5K ฿735.3K

73.55%

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

$80.0 TTD 543

$70.2 ฿2,294

13.98%

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

$47.03 TTD 319

$13.77 ฿450

241.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 TTD 418

$17.60 ฿575

250.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$10.01 TTD 68.0

$5.78 ฿189

73.18%

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

$321 TTD 2,181

$306 ฿10.0K

4.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,320 TTD 49.7K

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-50.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 TTD 407

$54.4 ฿1,778

10.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.68 TTD 256

$26.14 ฿855

44.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 TTD 973

$84.5 ฿2,764

69.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 TTD 857

$69.4 ฿2,270

81.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 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: $377 vs $243 – 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 10% 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 $1,404 per month in St.James and $1,278 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 $936 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 $936 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.