Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarin and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarin and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $955 per month in Tamarin vs $932 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,638 per month in Tamarin vs $1,399 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,321 per month in Tamarin vs $1,866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tamarin costs about 2% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tamarin and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tamarin 30% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 MUR 273

$2.08 ฿69.2

175.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.06 MUR 1,808

$19.61 ฿652

94.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 MUR 340

$5.67 ฿189

26.10%

Cappuccino

$2.62 MUR 125

$1.81 ฿60.0

44.75%

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

$1.15 MUR 54.4

$0.77 ฿25.55

49.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 MUR 31.15

$0.35 ฿11.48

88.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 MUR 129

$2.21 ฿73.6

23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 MUR 82.8

$3.79 ฿126

-54.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MUR 70.6

$2.05 ฿68.1

-27.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 MUR 9.50

$1.51 ฿50.4

-86.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 MUR 55.2

$1.40 ฿46.51

-17.14%

Eggs

$2.41 MUR 114

$2.26 ฿75.1

6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.88 MUR 185

$16.19 ฿538

-76.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 MUR 295

$2.90 ฿96.3

113.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 MUR 534

$9.42 ฿313

19.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 MUR 106

$2.68 ฿89.1

-16.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 MUR 104

$1.09 ฿36.23

100.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 MUR 69.2

$1.62 ฿53.8

-9.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 MUR 139

$1.46 ฿48.55

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 45.19

$1.28 ฿42.48

-25.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 47.97

$1.06 ฿35.17

-4.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 MUR 35.23

$0.72 ฿23.85

2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MUR 39.54

$0.53 ฿17.49

56.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.13 MUR 291

$4.23 ฿141

44.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 MUR 396

$18.29 ฿608

-54.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MUR 77.0

$1.63 ฿54.2

-0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 MUR 88.9

$2.90 ฿96.5

-35.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 MUR 39.33

$0.88 ฿29.20

-5.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,788

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.27 MUR 203

$1.17 ฿38.99

264.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 MUR 152

$0.58 ฿19.22

451.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 MUR 304

$2.39 ฿79.3

167.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MUR 62.9

$1.45 ฿48.22

-8.28%

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

$29.7K MUR 1.4M

$21.0K ฿698.6K

41.17%

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

$31.7K MUR 1.5M

$26.4K ฿878.6K

19.98%

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

$45.05 MUR 2,140

$63.7 ฿2,116

-29.22%

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

$10.74 MUR 510

$12.89 ฿429

-16.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.92 MUR 1,374

$20.52 ฿682

40.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.04 MUR 1,997

$39.02 ฿1,297

7.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 MUR 305

$6.58 ฿219

-2.43%

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

$130 MUR 6,157

$784 ฿26.1K

-83.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,114 MUR 147.9K

$14.7K ฿487.9K

-78.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 MUR 2,657

$55.1 ฿1,833

1.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.81 MUR 2,176

$24.74 ฿823

85.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 MUR 4,065

$94.1 ฿3,130

-9.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 MUR 2,805

$74.0 ฿2,459

-20.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 MUR 35.8K

$490 ฿16.3K

53.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 MUR 17.5K

$288 ฿9,582

27.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 MUR 66.5K

$891 ฿29.6K

57.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 MUR 43.1K

$521 ฿17.3K

74.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$844 MUR 40.1K

$602 ฿20.0K

40.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.57

19.75%

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

Last update for Tamarin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $754 in Tamarin versus $490 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 40% higher in Tamarin, 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 $38.00 in Tamarin versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $199 in Tamarin vs $241 in Chiang Mai – so Tamarin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Tamarin costs about 2% 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 $1,432 per month in Tamarin and $1,398 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 $38.00 in Tamarin and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Tamarin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $932, than in Tamarin at $955. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tamarin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $932 versus $955 in Tamarin. 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, Tamarin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.