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: $1,321 in Acharnes versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,019 in Acharnes versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,717 in Acharnes versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Acharnes is roughly 55% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Acharnes 1% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.24 €11.31

$1.96 ฿63.6

575.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 €50.1

$18.81 ฿611

211.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.09 €7.76

$7.92 ฿258

14.77%

Cappuccino

$4.00 €3.42

$1.91 ฿62.2

109.42%

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

$1.63 €1.40

$0.84 ฿27.25

94.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.47

$0.35 ฿11.44

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €4.84

$2.21 ฿71.7

156.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €4.89

$3.80 ฿124

50.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.24

$1.64 ฿53.2

-10.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.37

$1.62 ฿52.8

-0.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 €1.87

$1.18 ฿38.40

85.59%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.50

$2.01 ฿65.4

103.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.80 €11.79

$15.89 ฿517

-13.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.86 €8.42

$3.01 ฿98.0

227.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.28 €11.34

$10.77 ฿350

23.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €1.92

$2.61 ฿85.0

-13.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.22 ฿39.65

59.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.70 ฿55.4

-36.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$1.58 ฿51.2

22.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 €0.95

$1.32 ฿42.89

-15.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.17 ฿38.01

9.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 €0.85

$0.67 ฿21.85

49.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 €0.41

$0.56 ฿18.21

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 €4.00

$4.53 ฿147

3.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.53 €5.58

$18.20 ฿592

-64.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.83 ฿59.6

-9.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$3.23 ฿105

-27.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.37

$0.89 ฿28.83

79.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.63 €38.97

$19.38 ฿630

135.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 €6.00

$1.35 ฿43.95

420.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.35 ฿43.79

-25.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.75 €11.74

$8.25 ฿268

66.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.79

$1.27 ฿41.40

64.57%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$21.2K ฿687.8K

65.79%

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

$30.0K €25.7K

$22.5K ฿731.0K

33.61%

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

$143 €122

$70.2 ฿2,281

104.13%

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

$15.29 €13.06

$13.77 ฿448

11.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.00 €26.48

$17.60 ฿572

76.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.17 €41.99

$41.57 ฿1,352

18.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €22.23

$6.60 ฿215

294.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.01 €8.54

$5.78 ฿188

73.18%

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

$509 €435

$306 ฿9,953

66.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,554 €4,743

$14.8K ฿482.0K

-62.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.95 €19.60

$54.4 ฿1,768

-57.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.63 €33.84

$26.14 ฿850

51.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 €60.4

$84.5 ฿2,748

-16.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.1 €82.1

$69.4 ฿2,257

38.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$499 €426

$424 ฿13.8K

17.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 €335

$238 ฿7,743

64.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 €664

$825 ฿26.8K

-5.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 €534

$515 ฿16.7K

21.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 €2,626

$2,049 ฿66.6K

50.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,423 €2,069

$1,523 ฿49.5K

59.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,015 €867

$635 ฿20.6K

59.85%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $499 in Acharnes and $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acharnes pays 60% 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: $59.0 in Acharnes vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $243 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 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Acharnes pays 60% 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: $499 in Acharnes versus $424 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 $59.0 in Acharnes. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,321 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 55% less than in Acharnes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.