Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarin and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,033 in Tamarin, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Tamarin
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Tamarin Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Tamarin

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$1,033

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,033 per month in Tamarin vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tamarin $1,033
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,648 per month in Tamarin vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tamarin $1,648
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,263 per month in Tamarin vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tamarin $2,263
Chiang Mai $1,979

Tamarin costs about 10% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tamarin and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tamarin 24% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 MUR 280

$2.24 ฿75.6

167.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.24 MUR 1,502

$19.00 ฿641

69.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 MUR 332

$5.55 ฿187

28.29%

Cappuccino

$2.69 MUR 126

$1.67 ฿56.5

61.08%

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

$1.15 MUR 53.4

$0.64 ฿21.53

79.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 MUR 29.77

$0.31 ฿10.30

106.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MUR 121

$2.36 ฿79.5

9.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 MUR 224

$3.66 ฿124

31.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MUR 69.3

$1.95 ฿65.7

-23.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 MUR 9.31

$1.44 ฿48.45

-86.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 MUR 53.2

$1.33 ฿45.01

-14.29%

Eggs

$2.55 MUR 119

$2.28 ฿77.0

11.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.75 MUR 175

$16.45 ฿555

-77.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 MUR 292

$2.78 ฿93.8

125.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.29 MUR 526

$9.31 ฿314

21.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 MUR 98.2

$2.35 ฿79.4

-10.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 MUR 99.6

$0.97 ฿32.78

120.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 MUR 65.4

$1.60 ฿53.9

-12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 MUR 140

$1.50 ฿50.6

100.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 MUR 44.71

$1.28 ฿43.10

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 MUR 47.34

$1.10 ฿37.17

-7.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MUR 32.38

$0.71 ฿23.81

-1.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 MUR 41.03

$0.49 ฿16.36

79.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.18 MUR 288

$4.14 ฿140

49.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.69 MUR 405

$17.52 ฿591

-50.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MUR 78.6

$1.61 ฿54.5

4.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 MUR 90.2

$2.78 ฿93.9

-30.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 MUR 40.41

$0.87 ฿29.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 MUR 197

$1.16 ฿39.03

265.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.24 MUR 151

$0.53 ฿17.79

511.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 MUR 299

$2.42 ฿81.7

165.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MUR 63.7

$1.45 ฿48.87

-5.52%

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

$29.8K MUR 1.4M

$21.1K ฿710.3K

41.36%

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

$30.7K MUR 1.4M

$26.9K ฿908.7K

13.95%

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

$44.27 MUR 2,062

$62.2 ฿2,097

-28.79%

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

$10.47 MUR 488

$12.17 ฿410

-13.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.63 MUR 1,380

$20.12 ฿679

47.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.34 MUR 1,926

$37.31 ฿1,259

10.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 MUR 301

$6.49 ฿219

-0.46%

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

$125 MUR 5,833

$736 ฿24.8K

-82.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,083 MUR 143.6K

$14.8K ฿498.0K

-79.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 MUR 2,960

$53.4 ฿1,800

19.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 MUR 2,507

$24.64 ฿831

118.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 MUR 4,002

$91.5 ฿3,086

-6.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 MUR 2,745

$71.9 ฿2,426

-18.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 MUR 44.6K

$482 ฿16.3K

98.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 MUR 19.6K

$309 ฿10.4K

36.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 MUR 74.9K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

59.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 MUR 40.1K

$633 ฿21.4K

36.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$835 MUR 38.9K

$590 ฿19.9K

41.66%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tamarin

$420 40.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 26.5% $112

Groceries & Markets

Tamarin

$200 19.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 17.1% $34

Eating Out

Tamarin

$131 12.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 41% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Tamarin

$118 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 7.9% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tamarin

$84 8.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 12% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Tamarin

$54 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 7.3% $4

Getting Around

Tamarin

$24 * 2.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 157% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Tamarin versus $482 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 42% higher in Tamarin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Tamarin versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Tamarin vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Tamarin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇺 Tamarin

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

03:55 3:55 AM

3 h ahead of Tamarin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,371

127,240

💱 Currency

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MUR = 2.15 USD

100 MUR = 1.92 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MUR – Mauritian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇺 Mauritian Rupee (₨)

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 46.58 MUR (100 MUR = 2.15 USD). 1 EUR = 52.21 MUR (100 MUR = 1.92 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to MUR in detail →

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Between locations

Tamarin Chiang Mai 6,280 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Tamarin
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

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

Tamarin costs about 10% 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 $1,549 per month in Tamarin and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $957 in Tamarin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Tamarin and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Tamarin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,033 in Tamarin and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,033 in Tamarin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tamarin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.