Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tema and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Tema: $746 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

36

Cost of Living Index in Tema
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Tema Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Tema

🇬🇭 Ghana

$746

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $746 per month in Tema vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tema $746
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,186 per month in Tema vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tema $1,186
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,627 per month in Tema vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tema $1,627
Chiang Mai $1,979

Tema is about 20% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tema and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tema 45% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.04 GHS 81.6

$2.24 ฿75.7

214.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.68 GHS 321

$19.00 ฿642

45.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

Cappuccino

$5.09 GHS 59.0

$1.67 ฿56.6

204.79%

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

$0.85 GHS 9.79

$0.64 ฿21.56

32.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 GHS 3.48

$0.31 ฿10.32

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 GHS 38.31

$2.36 ฿79.6

40.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 GHS 29.59

$3.66 ฿124

-30.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 GHS 37.67

$1.95 ฿65.8

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 GHS 17.83

$1.44 ฿48.51

6.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 GHS 22.93

$1.33 ฿45.07

48.87%

Eggs

$2.37 GHS 27.44

$2.28 ฿77.1

3.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.27 GHS 49.40

$16.45 ฿556

-74.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 GHS 36.79

$2.78 ฿94.0

14.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.43 GHS 39.70

$9.31 ฿314

-63.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 GHS 30.42

$2.35 ฿79.5

11.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 GHS 24.42

$0.97 ฿32.82

117.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 GHS 25.43

$1.60 ฿53.9

37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 GHS 40.33

$1.50 ฿50.7

132.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 GHS 38.69

$1.28 ฿43.15

160.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 GHS 31.86

$1.10 ฿37.22

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 GHS 5.14

$0.71 ฿23.84

-38.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 GHS 7.60

$0.49 ฿16.38

34.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.32 GHS 15.26

$4.14 ฿140

-68.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.67 GHS 100

$17.52 ฿592

-50.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 GHS 25.07

$1.61 ฿54.5

34.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 GHS 35.22

$2.78 ฿94.0

9.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 GHS 19.58

$0.87 ฿29.33

94.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.27 GHS 478

$54.1 ฿1,827

-23.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 GHS 24.45

$1.16 ฿39.08

81.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 GHS 4.80

$0.53 ฿17.82

-22.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 GHS 13.22

$1.45 ฿48.93

-21.38%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$76.6 GHS 887

$62.2 ฿2,100

23.13%

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

$14.89 GHS 172

$12.17 ฿411

22.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.0 GHS 961

$20.12 ฿680

312.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.21 GHS 269

$37.31 ฿1,260

-37.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$8.76 GHS 101

$6.49 ฿219

34.98%

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

$174 GHS 2,012

$736 ฿24.9K

-76.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,582 GHS 29.9K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-82.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.97 GHS 150

$53.4 ฿1,802

-75.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.23 GHS 176

$24.64 ฿832

-38.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.68 GHS 506

$91.5 ฿3,089

-52.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.85 GHS 380

$71.9 ฿2,429

-54.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$127 GHS 1,469

$482 ฿16.3K

-73.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$72.0 GHS 833

$309 ฿10.4K

-76.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 GHS 5,048

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-56.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 GHS 2,511

$633 ฿21.4K

-65.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,800 GHS 113.5K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

314.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,945 GHS 68.8K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

274.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$419 GHS 4,854

$590 ฿19.9K

-28.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

528.37%

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

Last update for Tema: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tema

$216 28.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 8.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tema

$174 23.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 45.8% $80

Eating Out

Tema

$144 * 19.3%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 46% $66

Accommodation & Living

Tema

$72 9.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 329% $237

Getting Around

Tema

$52 7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 17.5% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Tema

$47 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 131% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Tema

$41 5.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 23.5% $9.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $127 in Tema 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 41% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Tema versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $216 in Tema vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Tema wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇭 Tema

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:57 11:57 AM

18:57 6:57 PM

7 h ahead of Tema

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

160,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 GHS = 8.64 USD

100 GHS = 7.76 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 11.58 GHS (100 GHS = 8.64 USD). 1 EUR = 12.89 GHS (100 GHS = 7.76 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to GHS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tema Chiang Mai 10,750 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Tema
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 25% more than Tema, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,119 per month in Tema 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 Tema, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $127 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $174 per month in Tema and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% 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.

Families tend to lean toward Tema – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Tema. 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.