Cost of Living Comparison Between Abadan and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Abadan and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,229 in Abadan versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,283 in Abadan versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,337 in Abadan versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Abadan is roughly 139% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Abadan is 63% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.62 TMT 106

$2.08 ฿69.5

1420.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 TMT 284

$19.61 ฿655

332.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.00 TMT 43.56

$5.67 ฿189

129.28%

Cappuccino

$6.93 TMT 23.23

$1.81 ฿60.3

282.87%

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

$1.53 TMT 5.13

$0.77 ฿25.65

98.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 TMT 2.93

$0.35 ฿11.53

148.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 TMT 18.82

$2.21 ฿73.9

154.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.61 TMT 45.60

$3.79 ฿127

259.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.49 TMT 15.04

$2.05 ฿68.4

119.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 TMT 6.74

$1.51 ฿50.6

33.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.79 TMT 19.41

$1.40 ฿46.69

313.57%

Eggs

$5.89 TMT 19.74

$2.26 ฿75.4

160.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$37.63 TMT 126

$16.19 ฿540

132.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.03 TMT 67.1

$2.90 ฿96.7

590.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.49 TMT 78.7

$9.42 ฿314

149.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.18 TMT 17.36

$2.68 ฿89.4

93.28%

Banana (1kg)

$8.24 TMT 27.62

$1.09 ฿36.37

655.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.56 TMT 25.32

$1.62 ฿54.0

366.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 TMT 12.57

$1.46 ฿48.74

156.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 TMT 7.47

$1.28 ฿42.65

74.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 TMT 4.72

$1.06 ฿35.31

33.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 TMT 9.01

$0.72 ฿23.94

273.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 TMT 3.76

$0.53 ฿17.56

111.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.90 TMT 86.8

$4.23 ฿141

512.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.06 TMT 138

$18.29 ฿611

124.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.29 TMT 17.72

$1.63 ฿54.4

224.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 TMT 9.65

$2.90 ฿96.8

-0.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 TMT 9.62

$1.17 ฿39.14

145.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 TMT 2.93

$0.58 ฿19.30

51.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.49 TMT 28.43

$2.39 ฿79.6

255.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.42 TMT 1.40

$1.45 ฿48.41

-71.03%

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

$44.7K TMT 149.7K

$21.0K ฿701.4K

112.61%

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

$57.7K TMT 193.1K

$26.4K ฿882.0K

118.19%

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

$579 TMT 1,939

$63.7 ฿2,125

809.41%

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

$56.9 TMT 191

$12.89 ฿430

341.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 TMT 338

$20.52 ฿685

391.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

Cinema Ticket

$8.61 TMT 28.84

$6.58 ฿220

30.85%

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

$22.94 TMT 76.9

$784 ฿26.2K

-97.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K TMT 81.5K

$14.7K ฿489.8K

65.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 TMT 186

$55.1 ฿1,840

0.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$117 TMT 390

$24.74 ฿826

370.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$368 TMT 1,233

$94.1 ฿3,142

291.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 TMT 641

$74.0 ฿2,469

158.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

5.57

70.56%

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

Last update for Abadan: September 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Abadan vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $668 vs $241 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 139% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,344 in Abadan and $1,398 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $22.94 in Abadan versus $784 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $85.0 in Abadan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $2,229 in Abadan, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Abadan. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Abadan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Abadan and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Abadan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.