Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Victoria and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,536 in Victoria, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Victoria
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Victoria Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Victoria

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,536

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,536 per month in Victoria vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Victoria $2,536
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,847 per month in Victoria vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Victoria $3,847
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $5,159 per month in Victoria vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Victoria $5,159
Chiang Mai $1,914

Victoria costs about 170% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Victoria sits 88% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.21 CA$27.16

$2.26 ฿75.4

750.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 CA$99.2

$19.18 ฿641

265.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 CA$15.59

$5.59 ฿187

97.32%

Cappuccino

$4.41 CA$6.23

$1.72 ฿57.6

156.40%

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

$2.33 CA$3.30

$0.64 ฿21.54

264.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.65

$0.33 ฿11.18

466.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 CA$7.97

$2.36 ฿78.7

138.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 CA$9.31

$3.90 ฿130

68.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 CA$3.86

$2.05 ฿68.6

33.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 CA$4.22

$1.40 ฿46.70

112.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.68

$1.28 ฿42.89

214.06%

Eggs

$4.14 CA$5.85

$2.25 ฿75.3

84.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.73 CA$37.79

$16.94 ฿566

57.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.46 CA$17.62

$2.74 ฿91.6

354.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 CA$20.25

$9.36 ฿313

52.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$2.40 ฿80.3

62.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.01 ฿33.92

42.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.57

$1.61 ฿53.9

144.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 CA$5.94

$1.52 ฿50.7

176.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.89

$1.28 ฿42.90

170.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 CA$4.03

$1.11 ฿37.22

156.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.17 CA$4.49

$0.72 ฿24.09

340.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.46

$0.52 ฿17.54

371.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.95 CA$21.13

$4.33 ฿145

245.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.38 CA$24.58

$17.73 ฿593

-1.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.82 CA$5.40

$1.63 ฿54.4

134.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 CA$4.85

$2.85 ฿95.3

20.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 CA$2.89

$0.85 ฿28.31

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.0 CA$84.8

$53.9 ฿1,801

11.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 CA$3.90

$1.17 ฿39.18

135.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 CA$2.17

$0.57 ฿19.00

168.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 CA$48.09

$2.37 ฿79.2

1335.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 CA$2.00

$1.45 ฿48.32

-2.76%

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

$27.4K CA$38.7K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

33.72%

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

$18.5K CA$26.2K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-30.18%

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

$104 CA$147

$62.3 ฿2,083

66.97%

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

$44.32 CA$62.7

$12.27 ฿410

261.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 CA$86.1

$19.97 ฿668

205.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.17 CA$61.0

$37.91 ฿1,267

13.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.01 CA$24.05

$3.76 ฿126

352.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.63 CA$15.03

$6.71 ฿224

58.42%

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

$886 CA$1,252

$797 ฿26.6K

11.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K CA$32.8K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

56.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 CA$75.5

$53.3 ฿1,780

0.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.58 CA$61.6

$25.05 ฿837

73.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 CA$127

$91.6 ฿3,062

-1.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$73.5 ฿2,455

43.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 CA$2,151

$464 ฿15.5K

227.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 CA$1,831

$305 ฿10.2K

325.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,720 CA$3,845

$915 ฿30.6K

197.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,315 CA$3,273

$552 ฿18.5K

319.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,206 CA$7,359

$1,912 ฿63.9K

172.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,371 CA$6,179

$1,438 ฿48.1K

203.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,251 CA$4,595

$595 ฿19.9K

446.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.31

5.57

-22.62%

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

Last update for Victoria: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Victoria

$1.3K 51.1%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 76.5% $991

Groceries & Markets

Victoria

$459 18.1%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 48.2% $221

Eating Out

Victoria

$298 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 73.5% $219

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Victoria

$209 8.3%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 54.8% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Victoria

$132 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 16.8% $22

Getting Around

Victoria

$79 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 22% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Victoria

$64 2.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 20.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,521 in Victoria versus $464 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 446% higher in Victoria, 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 $70.0 in Victoria versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $459 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Victoria

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

15:01 3:01 PM

14 h ahead of Victoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,792

127,240

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Victoria Chiang Mai 11,440 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Victoria
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

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

Victoria costs about 170% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,804 per month in Victoria and $1,408 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.

Kindergarten costs $886 per month in Victoria and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 93% more in Victoria, 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 $938, than in Victoria at $2,536. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Victoria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,536 in Victoria. 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, Victoria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.