Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Julians and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,257 in St. Julians, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in St. Julians
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St. Julians Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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St. Julians

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,257

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,257 per month in St. Julians vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

St. Julians $2,257
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $3,588 per month in St. Julians vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

St. Julians $3,588
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $4,919 per month in St. Julians vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

St. Julians $4,919
Chiang Mai $1,903

St. Julians costs about 144% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

St. Julians sits 67% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.12 €17.90

$2.29 ฿76.5

778.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.0 €88.1

$19.64 ฿656

404.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 €9.87

$5.61 ฿188

97.68%

Cappuccino

$3.27 €2.91

$1.66 ฿55.6

96.99%

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

$3.06 €2.72

$0.70 ฿23.40

337.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$0.31 ฿10.24

512.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.57 €4.06

$2.41 ฿80.4

89.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.06

$3.71 ฿124

22.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.10

$1.95 ฿65.3

-36.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.41 ฿47.03

24.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 €3.00

$1.31 ฿43.62

158.02%

Eggs

$4.54 €4.04

$2.18 ฿72.9

108.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.75

$16.65 ฿556

13.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 €9.46

$2.76 ฿92.2

285.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 €15.97

$9.11 ฿304

97.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 €2.70

$2.39 ฿80.0

26.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$1.03 ฿34.26

99.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$1.63 ฿54.4

76.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 €3.55

$1.50 ฿50.0

166.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.16

$1.29 ฿43.13

88.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 €2.12

$1.11 ฿37.03

115.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 €1.70

$0.72 ฿24.08

165.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$0.53 ฿17.59

67.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €6.02

$4.31 ฿144

57.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.21 €6.42

$17.95 ฿600

-59.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$1.58 ฿52.9

2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.84 ฿95.0

-17.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 €2.27

$0.86 ฿28.86

196.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 €4.09

$1.21 ฿40.29

279.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.47

$0.57 ฿18.99

189.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.13 €34.80

$2.35 ฿78.6

1565.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.44 ฿47.96

6.94%

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

$27.5K €24.5K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

32.70%

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

$39.5K €35.2K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

47.51%

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

$76.7 €68.2

$62.3 ฿2,083

22.97%

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

$35.28 €31.38

$12.11 ฿405

191.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.16 €31.27

$19.94 ฿666

76.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.5 €84.1

$37.07 ฿1,239

154.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.97 €35.56

$3.78 ฿126

957.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 €10.13

$6.50 ฿217

75.23%

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

$618 €550

$793 ฿26.5K

-22.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K €12.4K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-5.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$146 €130

$53.7 ฿1,796

171.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 €49.02

$24.62 ฿823

123.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €108

$90.9 ฿3,036

33.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €146

$71.1 ฿2,378

130.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 €1,237

$455 ฿15.2K

205.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €999

$298 ฿9,954

277.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,555 €2,273

$908 ฿30.4K

181.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 €1,816

$554 ฿18.5K

268.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,727 €5,094

$1,931 ฿64.5K

196.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,143 €2,796

$1,445 ฿48.3K

117.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,426 €2,158

$591 ฿19.7K

310.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.22

5.57

-42.19%

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

Last update for St. Julians: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St. Julians

$1.1K 49.8%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 73.5% $826

Groceries & Markets

St. Julians

$342 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 31.1% $106

Eating Out

St. Julians

$285 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 72.4% $207

Clothing & Footwear

St. Julians

$219 9.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 50.6% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St. Julians

$147 6.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 35.8% $53

Sport & Entertainment

St. Julians

$117 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 57.3% $67

Getting Around

St. Julians

$23 * 1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 164% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,391 in St. Julians versus $455 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 run about 311% higher in St. Julians, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in St. Julians versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $342 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 St. Julians

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:52 12:52 PM

17:52 5:52 PM

5 h ahead of St. Julians

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,792

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

St. Julians Chiang Mai 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

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

St. Julians costs about 144% 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 $3,385 per month in St. Julians and $1,388 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in St. Julians and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in St. Julians, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in St. Julians at $2,257. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. Julians it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $2,257 in St. Julians. 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. Julians makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.