Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Victoria Falls and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Victoria Falls and in Chiang Mai: $907 and $925 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Victoria Falls

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$907

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $907 per month in Victoria Falls vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Victoria Falls $907
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,481 per month in Victoria Falls vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Victoria Falls $1,481
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,055 per month in Victoria Falls vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Victoria Falls $2,055
Chiang Mai $1,903

Victoria Falls is about 2% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Victoria Falls and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Victoria Falls 33% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.99 ZWL 266

$2.29 ฿76.5

336.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.68 ZWL 1,189

$19.64 ฿656

127.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

Cappuccino

$5.95 ZWL 158

$1.66 ฿55.6

258.43%

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

$0.99 ZWL 26.29

$0.70 ฿23.40

41.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ZWL 12.77

$0.31 ฿10.24

54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 ZWL 133

$2.41 ฿80.4

106.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ZWL 52.1

$1.95 ฿65.3

0.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ZWL 26.91

$1.41 ฿47.03

-28.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

$1.31 ฿43.62

56.49%

Eggs

$3.66 ZWL 97.4

$2.18 ฿72.9

67.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.53 ZWL 67.4

$16.65 ฿556

-84.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 ZWL 160

$2.76 ฿92.2

117.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.16 ZWL 217

$9.11 ฿304

-10.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 ZWL 81.5

$2.39 ฿80.0

28.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 ZWL 79.0

$1.03 ฿34.26

188.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 ZWL 81.0

$1.63 ฿54.4

86.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 ZWL 104

$1.50 ฿50.0

160.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ZWL 54.7

$1.11 ฿37.03

85.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 ZWL 52.0

$0.72 ฿24.08

170.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 ZWL 38.74

$0.53 ฿17.59

175.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ZWL 89.9

$4.31 ฿144

-21.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.79 ZWL 526

$17.95 ฿600

10.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 ZWL 53.9

$0.86 ฿28.86

134.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ZWL 27.24

$0.57 ฿18.99

78.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 ZWL 48.55

$1.44 ฿47.96

26.39%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

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

$25.24 ZWL 672

$62.3 ฿2,083

-59.51%

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

$25.29 ZWL 673

$12.11 ฿405

108.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 ZWL 1,841

$19.94 ฿666

246.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ZWL 1,601

$37.07 ฿1,239

62.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.74 ZWL 392

$3.78 ฿126

289.95%

Cinema Ticket

$19.96 ZWL 531

$6.50 ฿217

207.08%

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

$99.7 ZWL 2,654

$793 ฿26.5K

-87.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,100 ZWL 162.3K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-58.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.21 ZWL 405

$53.7 ฿1,796

-71.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.56 ZWL 654

$24.62 ฿823

-0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.8 ZWL 1,619

$90.9 ฿3,036

-33.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.78 ZWL 1,192

$71.1 ฿2,378

-37.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 ZWL 6,560

$455 ฿15.2K

-45.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ZWL 4,734

$298 ฿9,954

-40.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ZWL 13.5K

$908 ฿30.4K

-44.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ZWL 9,457

$554 ฿18.5K

-35.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$800 ZWL 21.3K

$591 ฿19.7K

35.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Victoria Falls: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Victoria Falls

–

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Groceries & Markets

Victoria Falls

–

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Victoria Falls

–

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Victoria Falls

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Eating Out

Victoria Falls

–

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Getting Around

Victoria Falls

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Victoria Falls

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $247 in Victoria Falls versus $455 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 35% higher in Victoria Falls, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Victoria Falls versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Victoria Falls

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:53 12:53 PM

17:53 5:53 PM

5 h ahead of Victoria Falls

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,215

127,240

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ZWL – Zimbabwean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇼 Zimbabwean Dollar ($)

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ZWL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Victoria Falls Chiang Mai 8,970 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Chiang Mai costs about 2% more than Victoria Falls, 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 $1,360 per month in Victoria Falls and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Victoria Falls, 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 $45.00 in Victoria Falls and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Victoria Falls, where all-in costs run around $907, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Victoria Falls it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Victoria Falls costs $907 versus $925 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 Victoria Falls. 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.