Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Victoria, Seychelles and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,996 in Victoria, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

96

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

Jump to prices

Victoria

🇸🇨 Seychelles

$1,996

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/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 $1,996 per month in Victoria vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Victoria $1,996
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,098 per month in Victoria vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Victoria $3,098
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,201 per month in Victoria vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Victoria $4,201
Chiang Mai $1,979

Victoria costs about 113% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Victoria sits 47% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 SCR 251

$2.24 ฿75.6

683.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 SCR 717

$19.00 ฿641

163.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.51 SCR 179

$5.55 ฿187

125.41%

Cappuccino

$3.82 SCR 54.6

$1.67 ฿56.5

128.74%

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

$2.24 SCR 31.99

$0.64 ฿21.54

250.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 SCR 36.72

$0.31 ฿10.31

729.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.04 SCR 57.8

$2.36 ฿79.5

71.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 SCR 53.7

$3.66 ฿124

2.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 SCR 27.71

$1.95 ฿65.7

-0.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 SCR 23.76

$1.44 ฿48.46

15.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 SCR 35.90

$1.33 ฿45.03

88.72%

Eggs

$3.83 SCR 54.8

$2.28 ฿77.1

67.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.28 SCR 433

$16.45 ฿555

84.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 SCR 88.4

$2.78 ฿93.9

122.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 SCR 173

$9.31 ฿314

30.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 SCR 31.01

$2.35 ฿79.4

-7.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 SCR 38.18

$0.97 ฿32.79

175.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 SCR 33.96

$1.60 ฿53.9

48.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.08 SCR 86.9

$1.50 ฿50.6

305.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 SCR 27.95

$1.28 ฿43.11

53.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 SCR 25.38

$1.10 ฿37.18

61.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 SCR 21.74

$0.71 ฿23.82

114.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SCR 19.12

$0.49 ฿16.36

173.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.12 SCR 345

$4.14 ฿140

482.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.62 SCR 138

$17.52 ฿591

-45.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 SCR 61.4

$1.61 ฿54.5

167.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 SCR 79.0

$2.78 ฿93.9

98.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 SCR 9.93

$0.87 ฿29.30

-20.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.94 SCR 614

$54.1 ฿1,825

-20.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 SCR 23.16

$1.45 ฿48.88

11.72%

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

$26.1K SCR 373.6K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

24.11%

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

$31.3K SCR 447.2K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

16.11%

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

$137 SCR 1,963

$62.2 ฿2,098

120.91%

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

$40.91 SCR 585

$12.17 ฿411

236.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$136 SCR 1,945

$20.12 ฿679

576.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.5 SCR 1,108

$37.31 ฿1,259

107.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.62 SCR 109

$3.77 ฿127

102.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 SCR 99.6

$6.49 ฿219

7.40%

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

$141 SCR 2,018

$736 ฿24.8K

-80.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,376 SCR 119.7K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-43.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.31 SCR 519

$53.4 ฿1,801

-31.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.19 SCR 346

$24.64 ฿831

-1.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 SCR 1,287

$91.5 ฿3,087

-1.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.8 SCR 1,398

$71.9 ฿2,427

35.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 SCR 13.1K

$482 ฿16.3K

90.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$792 SCR 11.3K

$309 ฿10.4K

156.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 SCR 30.8K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

114.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 SCR 23.9K

$633 ฿21.4K

164.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$434 SCR 6,210

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-81.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,134 SCR 16.2K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-28.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$941 SCR 13.5K

$590 ฿19.9K

59.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

115.44%

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

Last update for Victoria: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Victoria

$792 39.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 61% $483

Groceries & Markets

Victoria

$370 18.5%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 36.6% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Victoria

$314 15.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 69.9% $220

Eating Out

Victoria

$271 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 71.4% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Victoria

$112 5.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 2.8% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Victoria

$91 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 45% $41

Getting Around

Victoria

$46 * 2.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 34.2% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $918 in Victoria 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 60% 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 $50 in Victoria versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $370 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇨 Victoria

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:27 5:27 AM

08:27 8:27 AM

3 h ahead of Victoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,450 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Seychellois Rupee SCR ₨

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 SCR = 7 USD

100 SCR = 6.27 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SCR – Seychellois Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇨 Seychellois Rupee (₨)

Seychellois Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 14.3 SCR (100 SCR = 7 USD). 1 EUR = 15.96 SCR (100 SCR = 6.27 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to SCR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Victoria Chiang Mai 5,430 km ≈ 7 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 113% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $2,993 per month in Victoria 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $918 in Victoria.

Kindergarten costs $141 per month in Victoria 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 58% more in Victoria, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,996 in Victoria and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,996 in Victoria. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Victoria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.