Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,358 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,358

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,358 per month in Wellington vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Wellington $2,358
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,368 per month in Wellington vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Wellington $3,368
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $4,378 per month in Wellington vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Wellington $4,378
Chiang Mai $1,914

Wellington costs about 151% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Wellington sits 75% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.72 NZ$24.27

$2.26 ฿75.4

507.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

$19.18 ฿641

232.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 NZ$15.83

$5.59 ฿187

60.11%

Cappuccino

$3.42 NZ$6.05

$1.72 ฿57.6

98.84%

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

$2.44 NZ$4.31

$0.64 ฿21.54

281.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 NZ$2.98

$0.33 ฿11.18

412.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.22 NZ$12.76

$2.36 ฿78.7

205.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 NZ$11.76

$3.90 ฿130

70.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 NZ$3.38

$2.05 ฿68.6

-6.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 NZ$3.89

$1.40 ฿46.70

57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.24

$1.28 ฿42.89

42.97%

Eggs

$6.77 NZ$11.97

$2.25 ฿75.3

200.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NZ$16.00

$16.94 ฿566

-46.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 NZ$17.43

$2.74 ฿91.6

259.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 NZ$26.86

$9.36 ฿313

62.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.52

$2.40 ฿80.3

30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.91

$1.01 ฿33.92

118.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.43

$1.61 ฿53.9

90.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.59 NZ$11.65

$1.52 ฿50.7

333.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.64

$1.28 ฿42.90

60.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.18

$1.11 ฿37.22

10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 NZ$3.66

$0.72 ฿24.09

187.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$2.03

$0.52 ฿17.54

121.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.86 NZ$43.96

$4.33 ฿145

474.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 NZ$19.95

$17.73 ฿593

-36.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 NZ$5.47

$1.63 ฿54.4

89.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 NZ$5.08

$2.85 ฿95.3

0.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 NZ$5.01

$0.85 ฿28.31

232.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$180

$53.9 ฿1,801

88.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$1.17 ฿39.18

59.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 NZ$3.22

$0.57 ฿19.00

219.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.15 NZ$60.4

$2.37 ฿79.2

1340.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 NZ$3.22

$1.45 ฿48.32

25.52%

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

$25.0K NZ$44.2K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

22.05%

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

$25.4K NZ$44.9K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-4.14%

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

$197 NZ$348

$62.3 ฿2,083

215.63%

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

$32.00 NZ$56.6

$12.27 ฿410

160.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 NZ$92.7

$19.97 ฿668

162.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.73 NZ$66.7

$37.91 ฿1,267

-0.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.11 NZ$28.50

$3.76 ฿126

328.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NZ$21.10

$6.71 ฿224

77.79%

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

$1,056 NZ$1,867

$797 ฿26.6K

32.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NZ$22.6K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-13.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 NZ$135

$53.3 ฿1,780

43.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.23 NZ$49.93

$25.05 ฿837

12.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 NZ$176

$91.6 ฿3,062

8.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NZ$270

$73.5 ฿2,455

107.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 NZ$2,169

$464 ฿15.5K

164.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NZ$2,018

$305 ฿10.2K

274.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 NZ$3,790

$915 ฿30.6K

134.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 NZ$3,022

$552 ฿18.5K

209.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,578 NZ$11.6K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

244.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,559 NZ$6,294

$1,438 ฿48.1K

147.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,925

$595 ฿19.9K

367.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.57

-3.23%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 48.4%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 73.3% $836

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$346 14.7%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 31.2% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$281 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 66.4% $187

Eating Out

Wellington

$244 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 67.6% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$160 6.8%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 31.7% $51

Getting Around

Wellington

$124 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 50.5% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$62 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 16.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,226 in Wellington 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 368% higher in Wellington, 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 $64.0 in Wellington versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:15 4:15 AM

22:15 10:15 PM

6 h behind Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 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 NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Wellington Chiang Mai 10,250 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Wellington
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

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

Wellington costs about 151% 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 $3,536 per month in Wellington 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 $1,056 per month in Wellington 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 45% more in Wellington, 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 Wellington at $2,358. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wellington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,358 in Wellington. 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, Wellington makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.