Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanzibar and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanzibar: $579 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Zanzibar
Learn more

Zanzibar Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Zanzibar

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$579

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $579 per month in Zanzibar vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zanzibar $579
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $864 per month in Zanzibar vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zanzibar $864
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,148 per month in Zanzibar vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zanzibar $1,148
Chiang Mai $1,903

Zanzibar is about 37% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Zanzibar and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Zanzibar 57% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 TZS 12.3K

$2.29 ฿76.5

105.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.08 TZS 57.8K

$19.64 ฿656

12.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 TZS 14.6K

$5.61 ฿188

-0.36%

Cappuccino

$2.20 TZS 5,769

$1.66 ฿55.6

32.53%

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

$0.58 TZS 1,520

$0.70 ฿23.40

-17.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 TZS 776

$0.31 ฿10.24

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 TZS 4,879

$2.41 ฿80.4

-22.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 TZS 6,764

$3.71 ฿124

-30.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 TZS 5,521

$1.95 ฿65.3

8.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 TZS 1,859

$1.41 ฿47.03

-49.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 TZS 2,058

$1.31 ฿43.62

-39.69%

Eggs

$2.71 TZS 7,092

$2.18 ฿72.9

24.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.58 TZS 19.9K

$16.65 ฿556

-54.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.21 TZS 5,776

$2.76 ฿92.2

-19.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.87 TZS 15.4K

$9.11 ฿304

-35.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 TZS 7,271

$2.39 ฿80.0

16.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 TZS 3,001

$1.03 ฿34.26

11.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.78 TZS 2,050

$1.63 ฿54.4

-52.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 TZS 1,428

$1.50 ฿50.0

-63.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 TZS 2,351

$1.29 ฿43.13

-30.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 TZS 4,063

$1.11 ฿37.03

39.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 TZS 2,003

$0.72 ฿24.08

5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 TZS 1,274

$0.53 ฿17.59

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 TZS 5,445

$4.31 ฿144

-51.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.55 TZS 25.0K

$17.95 ฿600

-46.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 TZS 3,921

$1.58 ฿52.9

-5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 TZS 3,536

$2.84 ฿95.0

-52.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 TZS 825

$0.86 ฿28.86

-63.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 TZS 9,672

$1.21 ฿40.29

204.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 TZS 1,920

$0.57 ฿18.99

28.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 TZS 6,964

$2.35 ฿78.6

13.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 TZS 3,180

$1.44 ฿47.96

-15.97%

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)

$48.9K TZS 128.1M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

82.54%

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

$74.3 TZS 194.6K

$62.3 ฿2,083

19.22%

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

$11.29 TZS 29.6K

$12.11 ฿405

-6.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.43 TZS 126.8K

$19.94 ฿666

142.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.77 TZS 75.3K

$37.07 ฿1,239

-22.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$9.26 TZS 24.3K

$6.50 ฿217

42.46%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.12 TZS 34.3K

$53.7 ฿1,796

-75.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.88 TZS 44.2K

$24.62 ฿823

-31.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.05 TZS 39.4K

$90.9 ฿3,036

-83.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$13.05 TZS 34.2K

$71.1 ฿2,378

-81.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$147 TZS 385.1K

$455 ฿15.2K

-67.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100 TZS 262.1K

$298 ฿9,954

-66.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 TZS 518.2K

$908 ฿30.4K

-78.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 TZS 388.8K

$554 ฿18.5K

-73.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$37.8K TZS 99.1M

$1,931 ฿64.5K

1859.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.5K TZS 30.1M

$1,445 ฿48.3K

696.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$312 TZS 816.7K

$591 ฿19.7K

-47.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

79.53%

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

Last update for Zanzibar: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zanzibar

$164 28.3%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 43.5% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanzibar

$134 23.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 29.6% $40

Accommodation & Living

Zanzibar

$100 17.3%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 198% $198

Eating Out

Zanzibar

$99 17.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 20.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Zanzibar

$47 8.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 5.9% $2.8

Clothing & Footwear

Zanzibar

$26 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 314% $82

Getting Around

Zanzibar

$8.6 * 1.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 605% $52

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $147 in Zanzibar 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 89% 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 $22.00 in Zanzibar versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $164 in Zanzibar vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Zanzibar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Zanzibar

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:52 1:52 PM

17:52 5:52 PM

4 h ahead of Zanzibar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

709,809

127,240

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,944 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 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 TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zanzibar Chiang Mai 7,110 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Zanzibar
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 60% more than Zanzibar, 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 $869 per month in Zanzibar 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 Zanzibar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $579 in Zanzibar and $925 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 60%.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Chiang Mai, 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 Zanzibar, where all-in costs run around $579, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Zanzibar 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. Zanzibar costs $579 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 Zanzibar. 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.