Cost of Living Comparison Between St Lawrence and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between St Lawrence and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,351 per month in St Lawrence vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,927 per month in St Lawrence vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,503 per month in St Lawrence vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

St Lawrence costs about 293% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

St Lawrence sits 152% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.76 JEP 15.61

$2.04 ฿68.4

917.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 JEP 50.6

$18.71 ฿626

259.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 JEP 8.31

$7.86 ฿263

40.59%

Cappuccino

$4.11 JEP 3.09

$2.03 ฿67.9

102.46%

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

$1.35 JEP 1.01

$0.80 ฿26.71

68.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 JEP 1.05

$0.35 ฿11.71

297.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 JEP 3.11

$2.14 ฿71.7

93.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 JEP 5.22

$3.67 ฿123

89.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 JEP 1.29

$1.73 ฿57.8

-1.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 JEP 1.49

$1.57 ฿52.5

26.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 JEP 1.51

$1.20 ฿40.10

66.67%

Eggs

$5.41 JEP 4.07

$1.97 ฿66.0

174.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.11 JEP 3.09

$16.23 ฿543

-74.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 JEP 9.02

$3.06 ฿102

292.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.92 JEP 5.20

$10.80 ฿361

-35.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 JEP 3.08

$2.77 ฿92.6

47.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 JEP 1.55

$1.17 ฿39.05

76.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 JEP 2.60

$1.71 ฿57.1

102.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 JEP 3.23

$1.59 ฿53.3

169.81%

Potato (1kg)

$4.00 JEP 3.01

$1.39 ฿46.63

187.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 JEP 2.03

$1.16 ฿38.67

132.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 JEP 1.55

$0.66 ฿22.11

212.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 JEP 1.24

$0.52 ฿17.35

215.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.35 JEP 8.54

$4.65 ฿155

144.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.76 JEP 8.09

$17.78 ฿595

-39.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.04 JEP 3.04

$1.79 ฿59.8

125.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 JEP 5.05

$3.34 ฿112

101.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 JEP 2.57

$0.91 ฿30.35

275.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.0 JEP 52.7

$18.64 ฿624

275.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 JEP 4.58

$1.41 ฿47.17

331.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.88 JEP 2.92

$1.34 ฿44.82

189.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 JEP 2.07

$8.11 ฿271

-66.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 JEP 1.51

$1.23 ฿41.27

62.60%

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

$22.8K JEP 17.1K

$21.4K ฿717.0K

6.36%

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

$34.3K JEP 25.8K

$21.8K ฿730.0K

57.38%

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

$134 JEP 100

$71.3 ฿2,386

87.20%

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

$24.87 JEP 18.70

$14.01 ฿469

77.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 JEP 51.4

$17.93 ฿600

280.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.9 JEP 67.6

$40.82 ฿1,365

120.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 JEP 15.30

$6.88 ฿230

195.64%

Cinema Ticket

$14.96 JEP 11.25

$5.72 ฿191

161.54%

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

$2,022 JEP 1,521

$308 ฿10.3K

556.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K JEP 12.7K

$14.7K ฿491.0K

15.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 JEP 72.7

$55.8 ฿1,865

73.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.79 JEP 35.94

$26.04 ฿871

83.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 JEP 94.3

$84.8 ฿2,837

47.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 JEP 101

$71.0 ฿2,375

90.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 JEP 1,419

$423 ฿14.2K

345.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,110 JEP 1,587

$242 ฿8,110

770.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,454 JEP 2,597

$797 ฿26.7K

333.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,753 JEP 2,822

$507 ฿17.0K

640.62%

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 %)

2.75

-45.00%

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

Last update for St Lawrence: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,887 in St Lawrence versus $423 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in St Lawrence versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 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 Lawrence vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St Lawrence costs about 293% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $5,026 per month in St Lawrence and $1,279 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.

Kindergarten costs $2,022 per month in St Lawrence and $308 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in St Lawrence, 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 $852, than in St Lawrence at $3,351. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in St Lawrence it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $3,351 in St Lawrence. 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 Lawrence makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.