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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,307 in Acharnes versus $869 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,988 in Acharnes versus $1,362 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,670 in Acharnes versus $1,855 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Acharnes is roughly 50% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Acharnes 3% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.12 €11.30

$1.98 ฿64.3

562.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 €49.63

$18.80 ฿612

206.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 €7.92

$7.75 ฿252

18.71%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.57

$1.92 ฿62.5

115.63%

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

$1.63 €1.41

$0.79 ฿25.79

106.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.36 ฿11.62

55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.12

$2.21 ฿72.1

168.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 €4.97

$3.66 ฿119

57.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.65 ฿53.8

-11.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 €1.40

$1.63 ฿53.2

-0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 €1.90

$1.19 ฿38.86

84.87%

Eggs

$4.18 €3.60

$2.00 ฿65.1

109.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.78 €11.87

$15.98 ฿520

-13.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.81 €8.45

$3.03 ฿98.5

223.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 €11.14

$10.86 ฿354

19.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.76 ฿90.0

-17.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.18 ฿38.42

60.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.64 ฿53.5

-34.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.52 ฿49.51

28.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 €0.97

$1.38 ฿45.10

-18.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.19 ฿38.84

6.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.70 ฿22.86

41.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 €0.39

$0.56 ฿18.13

-17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.70 €4.05

$4.58 ฿149

2.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.34 €5.46

$16.56 ฿539

-61.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.83 ฿59.5

-8.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 €2.10

$3.20 ฿104

-23.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 €1.36

$0.88 ฿28.56

79.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.49 €39.20

$18.72 ฿610

143.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.25 €6.24

$1.36 ฿44.16

433.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.34 ฿43.65

-20.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.76 €11.86

$7.84 ฿256

75.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.23 ฿39.92

69.92%

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

$34.2K €29.5K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

58.36%

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

$29.6K €25.5K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

31.47%

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

$143 €123

$70.5 ฿2,298

102.68%

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

$14.85 €12.79

$13.68 ฿445

8.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.61 €27.23

$17.45 ฿568

81.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.91 €41.28

$41.33 ฿1,346

15.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 €23.01

$6.96 ฿227

283.62%

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 €8.29

$5.77 ฿188

66.72%

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

$516 €444

$307 ฿10.0K

67.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,655 €4,872

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-61.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.84 €19.68

$55.8 ฿1,817

-59.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.75 €33.39

$26.21 ฿854

47.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 €60.7

$85.8 ฿2,793

-17.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.5 €81.4

$72.2 ฿2,353

30.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 €420

$430 ฿14.0K

13.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 €330

$239 ฿7,774

60.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 €670

$817 ฿26.6K

-4.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 €541

$511 ฿16.6K

22.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,721 €2,345

$1,983 ฿64.6K

37.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,150 €1,853

$1,484 ฿48.3K

44.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,012 €872

$619 ฿20.2K

63.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.34

-13.20%

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

Last update for Acharnes: June 8, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Acharnes and $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acharnes pays 64% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $58.0 in Acharnes vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Acharnes pays 64% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Acharnes versus $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Acharnes. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $58.0 in Acharnes. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $1,307 in Acharnes, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Acharnes. 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 Acharnes, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Acharnes 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 50% less than in Acharnes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.