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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,240 per month in Tunapuna vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,016 per month in Tunapuna vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,791 per month in Tunapuna vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tunapuna costs about 45% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Tunapuna and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tunapuna 7% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.90 TTD 39.60

$2.04 ฿68.2

189.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 TTD 503

$18.71 ฿624

300.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.76 TTD 45.36

$7.86 ฿262

-13.99%

Cappuccino

$2.92 TTD 19.64

$2.03 ฿67.7

43.84%

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

$0.54 TTD 3.61

$0.80 ฿26.64

-32.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 TTD 3.03

$0.35 ฿11.68

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 TTD 9.74

$2.14 ฿71.5

-32.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 TTD 19.74

$3.67 ฿122

-19.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 TTD 13.61

$1.73 ฿57.6

17.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 TTD 18.92

$1.57 ฿52.4

79.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 TTD 18.01

$1.20 ฿39.99

123.33%

Eggs

$4.95 TTD 33.21

$1.97 ฿65.8

151.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 TTD 52.8

$16.23 ฿541

-51.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.31 TTD 69.2

$3.06 ฿102

236.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 TTD 94.2

$10.80 ฿360

29.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.66 TTD 38.00

$2.77 ฿92.3

104.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 TTD 16.71

$1.17 ฿38.94

112.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 TTD 29.17

$1.71 ฿57.0

153.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 TTD 31.14

$1.59 ฿53.2

191.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 TTD 9.69

$1.39 ฿46.51

3.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 TTD 11.23

$1.16 ฿38.56

43.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 TTD 13.16

$0.66 ฿22.05

196.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 TTD 6.78

$0.52 ฿17.31

94.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 TTD 34.81

$4.65 ฿155

11.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.32 TTD 130

$17.78 ฿593

8.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 TTD 9.70

$1.79 ฿59.6

-19.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 TTD 19.07

$3.34 ฿111

-14.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 TTD 7.10

$1.41 ฿47.04

-24.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 TTD 8.21

$1.34 ฿44.70

-8.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.84 TTD 99.7

$8.11 ฿270

82.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 TTD 6.83

$1.23 ฿41.16

-17.07%

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

$34.0K TTD 228.6K

$21.4K ฿715.1K

58.78%

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

$39.1K TTD 262.3K

$21.8K ฿728.0K

78.98%

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

$81.2 TTD 545

$71.3 ฿2,379

13.78%

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

$46.77 TTD 314

$14.01 ฿467

233.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 TTD 419

$17.93 ฿598

248.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 TTD 68.4

$5.72 ฿191

78.15%

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

$329 TTD 2,210

$308 ฿10.3K

6.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,210 TTD 48.4K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-50.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 TTD 392

$55.8 ฿1,860

4.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.16 TTD 256

$26.04 ฿869

46.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 TTD 977

$84.8 ฿2,829

71.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 TTD 397

$71.0 ฿2,368

-16.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 TTD 2,972

$423 ฿14.1K

4.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 TTD 2,630

$242 ฿8,088

61.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 TTD 6,906

$797 ฿26.6K

29.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 TTD 4,800

$507 ฿16.9K

41.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

7.60%

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

Last update for Tunapuna: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $443 in Tunapuna versus $423 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Tunapuna versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 vs $244 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Tunapuna costs about 45% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,860 per month in Tunapuna and $1,279 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 $75.0 in Tunapuna 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 47% more in Tunapuna, 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 Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $852, than in Tunapuna at $1,240. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tunapuna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $1,240 in Tunapuna. 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, Tunapuna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.