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: $1,354 in Acharnes versus $942 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,051 in Acharnes versus $1,427 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Acharnes versus $1,912 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Acharnes is roughly 44% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Acharnes is 0% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 €9.97

$2.08 ฿68.9

448.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €55.2

$19.91 ฿659

217.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 €8.03

$5.58 ฿185

64.87%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.56

$1.74 ฿57.5

134.48%

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

$2.34 €2.04

$0.72 ฿23.82

225.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$0.32 ฿10.59

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 €4.12

$2.25 ฿74.5

109.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.57

$3.81 ฿126

37.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.46

$2.02 ฿66.8

-17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.57 ฿52.0

-5.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.40 ฿46.21

75.00%

Eggs

$5.22 €4.56

$2.15 ฿71.3

142.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.79 €10.30

$15.63 ฿518

-24.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 €8.62

$2.95 ฿97.6

234.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 €13.08

$9.49 ฿314

57.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$2.60 ฿86.2

-6.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.00

$1.08 ฿35.80

112.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.59 ฿52.7

9.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.45 ฿48.09

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.28 ฿42.26

-7.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.11 ฿36.78

21.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 €0.77

$0.73 ฿24.04

20.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.50 ฿16.54

78.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.81 €4.20

$4.27 ฿141

12.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.19

$17.67 ฿585

-59.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.68 ฿55.7

1.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.13

$2.80 ฿92.8

27.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 €1.18

$0.87 ฿28.64

55.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.37 €42.24

$54.2 ฿1,794

-10.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 €3.99

$1.21 ฿40.15

277.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €1.00

$0.54 ฿17.84

111.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.23 €12.42

$2.39 ฿79.0

495.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.00

$1.46 ฿48.46

56.85%

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

$29.3K €25.6K

$21.0K ฿695.7K

39.61%

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

$24.2K €21.1K

$26.7K ฿883.8K

-9.34%

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

$141 €123

$62.1 ฿2,055

127.82%

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

$15.28 €13.34

$12.93 ฿428

18.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.13 €25.44

$20.61 ฿682

41.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.04

$39.21 ฿1,298

34.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.62 €22.38

$3.77 ฿125

579.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.32 €8.14

$6.52 ฿216

42.94%

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

$491 €429

$803 ฿26.6K

-38.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,664 €4,073

$14.7K ฿486.6K

-68.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.71 €19.84

$55.9 ฿1,850

-59.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.87 €31.32

$25.51 ฿845

40.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 €60.2

$91.1 ฿3,015

-24.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €95.8

$73.3 ฿2,427

49.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 €446

$484 ฿16.0K

5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 €352

$288 ฿9,542

39.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 €656

$885 ฿29.3K

-15.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 €548

$523 ฿17.3K

19.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,698 €2,356

$1,989 ฿65.9K

35.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,248 €1,963

$1,440 ฿47.7K

56.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,030 €900

$603 ฿20.0K

70.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.36

5.57

-21.72%

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

Last update for Acharnes: September 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $511 in Acharnes and $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acharnes pays 71% 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: $63.0 in Acharnes vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $238 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 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 71% higher in Acharnes, 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: $511 in Acharnes versus $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% 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 $20.00 versus $63.0 in Acharnes. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $942 in Chiang Mai versus $1,354 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 44% less than in Acharnes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.