Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamale and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamale: $142 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Tamale

🇬🇭 Ghana

$142

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $142 per month in Tamale vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tamale $142
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $215 per month in Tamale vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tamale $215
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $288 per month in Tamale vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tamale $288
Chiang Mai $1,914

Tamale is about 85% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tamale and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tamale 89% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 GHS 40.12

$2.26 ฿75.4

52.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 GHS 119

$5.59 ฿187

83.18%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

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

$0.81 GHS 9.45

$0.64 ฿21.54

26.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 GHS 5.06

$0.33 ฿11.18

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 GHS 10.29

$2.36 ฿78.7

-62.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 GHS 14.61

$3.90 ฿130

-67.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.00 GHS 34.94

$2.05 ฿68.6

46.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 GHS 19.80

$1.40 ฿46.70

21.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 GHS 43.29

$1.28 ฿42.89

190.63%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 GHS 14.97

$1.63 ฿54.4

-20.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 GHS 10.37

$0.85 ฿28.31

4.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$12.27 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,618 GHS 100.2K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-41.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Tamale: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tamale

–

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Groceries & Markets

Tamale

–

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Tamale

–

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tamale

–

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Eating Out

Tamale

–

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Getting Around

Tamale

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Tamale

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Good to know

🇬🇭 Tamale

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:25 3:25 AM

10:25 10:25 AM

7 h ahead of Tamale

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

950,124

127,240

💱 Currency

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 GHS = 8.6 USD

100 GHS = 7.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to GHS – Ghanaian Cedi Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇭 Ghanaian Cedi (₵)

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 11.63 GHS (100 GHS = 8.6 USD). 1 EUR = 13.07 GHS (100 GHS = 7.65 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to GHS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tamale Chiang Mai 10,690 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Tamale
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

Tamale vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 560% more than Tamale, 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 $213 per month in Tamale and $1,408 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 $142 in Tamale and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 560%.

Groceries cost about 248% more in Chiang Mai, 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 Tamale, where all-in costs run around $142, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Tamale it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tamale costs $142 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. 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 Tamale. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.