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 $3,227 per month in St Lawrence vs $950 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,322 per month in St Lawrence vs $1,430 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,416 per month in St Lawrence vs $1,909 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

St Lawrence costs about 240% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

St Lawrence sits 134% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$40.52 JEP 29.99

$2.10 ฿69.3

1829.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 JEP 90.4

$19.84 ฿656

515.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 JEP 8.13

$5.79 ฿191

89.64%

Cappuccino

$5.09 JEP 3.77

$1.83 ฿60.4

178.14%

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

$3.44 JEP 2.54

$0.78 ฿25.61

341.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 JEP 1.93

$0.31 ฿10.37

741.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 JEP 6.08

$2.34 ฿77.2

250.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 JEP 4.86

$3.70 ฿122

77.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 JEP 1.64

$2.03 ฿67.1

9.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 JEP 2.03

$1.60 ฿52.7

71.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 JEP 1.93

$1.42 ฿46.75

83.80%

Eggs

$5.80 JEP 4.29

$2.18 ฿71.9

166.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.60 JEP 5.62

$15.91 ฿526

-52.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.44 JEP 9.21

$3.07 ฿102

305.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.67 JEP 13.81

$9.87 ฿326

89.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 JEP 3.24

$2.63 ฿86.8

66.54%

Banana (1kg)

$3.65 JEP 2.70

$1.10 ฿36.19

231.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 JEP 3.11

$1.63 ฿53.8

158.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 JEP 3.35

$1.53 ฿50.6

196.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 JEP 2.48

$1.24 ฿41.13

170.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 JEP 2.30

$1.13 ฿37.37

175.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 JEP 1.39

$0.74 ฿24.38

154.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 JEP 1.89

$0.50 ฿16.48

410.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.17 JEP 14.93

$4.28 ฿141

371.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 JEP 8.06

$17.97 ฿594

-39.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.80 JEP 3.55

$1.70 ฿56.1

182.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 JEP 5.93

$2.90 ฿95.7

176.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿31.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 JEP 4.02

$1.23 ฿40.76

341.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 JEP 1.83

$0.53 ฿17.66

366.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.8 JEP 40.57

$2.40 ฿79.3

2184.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 JEP 1.58

$1.44 ฿47.55

48.61%

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

$26.8K JEP 19.8K

$21.2K ฿700.2K

26.45%

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

$37.9K JEP 28.1K

$27.3K ฿902.1K

38.98%

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

$320 JEP 237

$64.9 ฿2,145

392.62%

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

$34.95 JEP 25.86

$13.35 ฿441

161.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.6 JEP 55.9

$20.83 ฿688

262.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.7 JEP 71.5

$40.42 ฿1,336

139.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

Cinema Ticket

$20.40 JEP 15.10

$6.71 ฿222

204.02%

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

$853 JEP 632

$787 ฿26.0K

8.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K JEP 8,974

$15.1K ฿499.6K

-19.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 JEP 77.4

$56.2 ฿1,858

85.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.7 JEP 55.2

$24.95 ฿824

199.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 JEP 88.6

$92.7 ฿3,063

29.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$211 JEP 156

$75.1 ฿2,482

181.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 JEP 1,305

$484 ฿16.0K

264.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 JEP 1,107

$287 ฿9,491

420.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,014 JEP 2,971

$910 ฿30.1K

341.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,397 JEP 2,514

$531 ฿17.5K

540.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿47.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.57

-26.75%

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

Last update for St Lawrence: September 5, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,764 in St Lawrence versus $484 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 $122 in St Lawrence versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $424 vs $242 – 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 240% 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 $4,841 per month in St Lawrence and $1,426 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 $122 in St Lawrence 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 75% 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 $950, than in St Lawrence at $3,227. 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 $950 versus $3,227 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.