Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yaounde and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaounde: $782 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Yaounde
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Yaounde Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Yaounde

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$782

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $782 per month in Yaounde vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yaounde $782
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,206 per month in Yaounde vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yaounde $1,206
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,629 per month in Yaounde vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yaounde $1,629
Chiang Mai $1,914

Yaounde is about 17% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Yaounde and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Yaounde 42% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 FCFA 2,040

$2.26 ฿75.4

54.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 FCFA 29.6K

$19.18 ฿641

164.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 FCFA 2,896

$5.59 ฿187

-11.09%

Cappuccino

$1.87 FCFA 1,089

$1.72 ฿57.6

8.72%

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

$1.46 FCFA 854

$0.64 ฿21.54

128.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 FCFA 324

$0.33 ฿11.18

69.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 FCFA 698

$2.36 ฿78.7

-49.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 FCFA 980

$3.90 ฿130

-56.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.62 FCFA 2,109

$2.05 ฿68.6

76.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 FCFA 602

$1.40 ฿46.70

-26.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 FCFA 743

$1.28 ฿42.89

-0.78%

Eggs

$2.02 FCFA 1,179

$2.25 ฿75.3

-10.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.86 FCFA 8,080

$16.94 ฿566

-18.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 FCFA 3,509

$2.74 ฿91.6

119.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.42 FCFA 3,744

$9.36 ฿313

-31.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 FCFA 2,899

$2.40 ฿80.3

107.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 FCFA 1,139

$1.01 ฿33.92

93.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 FCFA 1,159

$1.61 ฿53.9

23.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 FCFA 786

$1.52 ฿50.7

-11.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 FCFA 952

$1.28 ฿42.90

27.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 FCFA 813

$1.11 ฿37.22

25.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 FCFA 654

$0.72 ฿24.09

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 FCFA 381

$0.52 ฿17.54

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.68 FCFA 982

$4.33 ฿145

-61.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 FCFA 4,808

$17.73 ฿593

-53.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 FCFA 772

$1.63 ฿54.4

-19.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 FCFA 1,132

$2.85 ฿95.3

-31.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 FCFA 305

$0.85 ฿28.31

-38.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.19 FCFA 10.0K

$53.9 ฿1,801

-68.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 FCFA 363

$1.17 ฿39.18

-47.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 FCFA 261

$0.57 ฿19.00

-21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 FCFA 3,422

$2.37 ฿79.2

147.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 FCFA 848

$1.45 ฿48.32

0.69%

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

$32.6K FCFA 19.0M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

59.05%

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

$21.2K FCFA 12.4M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-20.05%

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

$80.1 FCFA 46.7K

$62.3 ฿2,083

28.54%

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

$17.16 FCFA 10.0K

$12.27 ฿410

39.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 FCFA 29.9K

$19.97 ฿668

156.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.85 FCFA 13.9K

$37.91 ฿1,267

-37.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.93 FCFA 4,041

$3.76 ฿126

84.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 FCFA 4,849

$6.71 ฿224

23.99%

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

$615 FCFA 358.4K

$797 ฿26.6K

-22.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,333 FCFA 1.4M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-84.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.75 FCFA 9,767

$53.3 ฿1,780

-68.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.41 FCFA 16.0K

$25.05 ฿837

9.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.17 FCFA 14.7K

$91.6 ฿3,062

-72.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.8 FCFA 32.6K

$73.5 ฿2,455

-23.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$142 FCFA 83.0K

$464 ฿15.5K

-69.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 FCFA 106.7K

$305 ฿10.2K

-39.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 FCFA 238.1K

$915 ฿30.6K

-55.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 FCFA 121.2K

$552 ฿18.5K

-62.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$855 FCFA 498.8K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-55.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$589 FCFA 343.7K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-59.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 FCFA 107.8K

$595 ฿19.9K

-68.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

133.39%

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

Last update for Yaounde: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yaounde

$249 31.8%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 4.4% $11

Accommodation & Living

Yaounde

$183 23.4%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 66.5% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yaounde

$149 19%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 36.3% $54

Eating Out

Yaounde

$83 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 4.5% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Yaounde

$56 7.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 94.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Yaounde

$40 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 26.8% $11

Getting Around

Yaounde

$22 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 177% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $142 in Yaounde 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 222% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $51.0 in Yaounde versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Yaounde

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:13 11:13 PM

05:13 5:13 AM

6 h ahead of Yaounde

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,817,524 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Yaounde Chiang Mai 9,600 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Yaounde
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 20% more than Yaounde, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,173 per month in Yaounde 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 Yaounde, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $615 per month in Yaounde and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Yaounde, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Yaounde 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. Yaounde costs $782 versus $938 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 Yaounde. 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.