Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St John and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $322 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$322

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $322 per month in St John vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

St John $322
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $927 per month in St John vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

St John $927
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,531 per month in St John vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

St John $1,531
Chiang Mai $1,979

St John is about 66% cheaper than Chiang Mai.

Both St John and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – St John 76% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.06 $20.06

$2.24 ฿75.6

795.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$174 $174

$19.00 ฿641

818.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

Cappuccino

$7.14 $7.14

$1.67 ฿56.5

327.54%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$0.64 ฿21.53

359.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.31 ฿10.30

532.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.36 ฿79.5

241.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 $8.09

$3.66 ฿124

121.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.45 ฿48.87

11.72%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

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

$12.17 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K $13.3K

$14.8K ฿498.0K

-9.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.8K $12.8K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

442.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,075 $5,075

$590 ฿19.9K

760.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.05

5.57

26.57%

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

Last update for St John: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St John

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

St John

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

St John

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St John

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

St John

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

St John

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

St John

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in St John are about 8.6 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $174 in St John versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇻🇮 St John

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

09:22 9:22 AM

11 h ahead of St John

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,743

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

St John Chiang Mai 15,520 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

St John
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 190% more than St John, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $483 per month in St John and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $322 in St John and $936 in Chiang Mai. That makes St John about 66% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $174 in St John and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $322 in St John and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $322 in St John to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.