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

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $480 per month in Thika vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $809 per month in Thika vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,137 per month in Thika vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Thika is about 45% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Thika and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Thika 64% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.53 KES 717

$1.98 ฿64.3

179.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.49 KES 4,991

$18.80 ฿612

104.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 KES 861

$7.75 ฿252

-14.32%

Cappuccino

$2.38 KES 308

$1.92 ฿62.5

23.96%

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

$0.75 KES 97.2

$0.79 ฿25.79

-5.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 KES 70.3

$0.36 ฿11.62

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 KES 217

$2.21 ฿72.1

-24.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 KES 258

$3.66 ฿119

-45.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 KES 114

$1.65 ฿53.8

-46.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 KES 61.5

$1.63 ฿53.2

-71.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 KES 177

$1.19 ฿38.86

14.29%

Eggs

$1.36 KES 176

$2.00 ฿65.1

-32.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.66 KES 1,512

$15.98 ฿520

-27.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 KES 849

$3.03 ฿98.5

116.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.92 KES 249

$10.86 ฿354

-82.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 KES 406

$2.76 ฿90.0

13.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

$1.18 ฿38.42

-9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 KES 271

$1.64 ฿53.5

27.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$1.52 ฿49.51

-30.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

$1.38 ฿45.10

-22.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 KES 146

$1.19 ฿38.84

-5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 KES 83.0

$0.70 ฿22.86

-8.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 KES 98.9

$0.56 ฿18.13

35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 KES 306

$4.58 ฿149

-48.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 KES 765

$16.56 ฿539

-64.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 KES 224

$1.83 ฿59.5

-5.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 257

$3.20 ฿104

-38.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 KES 206

$1.36 ฿44.16

16.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 KES 195

$1.34 ฿43.65

11.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 KES 367

$7.84 ฿256

-63.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 KES 138

$1.23 ฿39.92

-13.82%

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

$21.5K KES 2.8M

$21.6K ฿704.3K

-0.63%

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

$19.8K KES 2.6M

$22.5K ฿734.3K

-12.02%

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

$34.61 KES 4,488

$70.5 ฿2,298

-50.94%

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

$17.09 KES 2,216

$13.68 ฿445

24.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.46 KES 5,116

$17.45 ฿568

126.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 KES 819

$5.77 ฿188

9.36%

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

$205 KES 26.6K

$307 ฿10.0K

-33.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,182 KES 1.1M

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-44.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.51 KES 2,400

$55.8 ฿1,817

-66.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.40 KES 3,164

$26.21 ฿854

-6.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.5 KES 8,626

$85.8 ฿2,793

-22.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 KES 7,328

$72.2 ฿2,353

-21.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$612 KES 79.3K

$1,983 ฿64.6K

-69.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

130.00%

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

Last update for Thika: June 9, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Thika versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $175 in Thika vs $241 in Chiang Mai – so Thika 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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 81% more than Thika, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $721 per month in Thika and $1,303 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Thika and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $480 in Thika and $869 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Thika costs $480 versus $869 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 Thika. 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.