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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Acre versus $920 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,184 in Acre versus $1,408 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,685 in Acre versus $1,895 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Acre is roughly 192% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Acre is 96% above, Chiang Mai is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.86 ₪80.5

$2.11 ฿69.1

1172.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 ₪338

$19.75 ฿648

470.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.85 ₪59.5

$5.85 ฿192

239.32%

Cappuccino

$4.70 ₪14.08

$1.76 ฿57.8

167.05%

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

$3.61 ₪10.81

$0.74 ฿24.37

387.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₪9.67

$0.33 ฿10.90

878.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.95 ₪32.81

$2.47 ฿81.0

343.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.25 ₪33.71

$3.88 ฿127

189.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.66 ₪7.96

$1.90 ฿62.4

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 ₪11.30

$1.67 ฿54.7

125.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 ₪11.41

$1.35 ฿44.24

182.22%

Eggs

$5.07 ₪15.20

$2.14 ฿70.2

136.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.20 ₪54.5

$15.89 ฿521

14.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.39 ₪40.11

$2.83 ฿92.9

373.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.08 ₪72.2

$10.53 ฿345

128.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.65 ₪13.93

$2.38 ฿78.2

95.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 ₪8.99

$1.07 ฿35.01

180.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 ₪7.45

$1.52 ฿49.79

63.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 ₪7.90

$1.50 ฿49.30

75.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 ₪5.95

$1.28 ฿41.96

54.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 ₪5.41

$1.10 ฿36.17

64.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 ₪7.67

$0.69 ฿22.54

271.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₪3.51

$0.49 ฿16.18

138.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.60 ₪40.75

$4.27 ฿140

218.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.75 ₪47.19

$16.78 ฿550

-6.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 ₪10.14

$1.66 ฿54.4

103.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 ₪14.78

$2.81 ฿92.3

75.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 ₪8.01

$0.90 ฿29.44

196.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.8 ₪257

$54.9 ฿1,801

56.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₪13.60

$1.20 ฿39.24

278.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 ₪3.52

$0.54 ฿17.78

116.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.58 ₪61.7

$2.37 ฿77.9

768.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.63 ₪7.88

$1.43 ฿46.88

83.92%

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

$58.5K ₪175.2K

$21.1K ฿691.5K

177.45%

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

$60.9K ₪182.5K

$27.1K ฿890.2K

124.52%

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

$269 ₪807

$64.7 ฿2,124

315.72%

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

$12.06 ₪36.15

$13.19 ฿433

-8.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.95 ₪111

$19.44 ฿638

90.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 ₪218

$39.45 ฿1,294

84.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$16.68 ₪49.99

$6.62 ฿217

151.96%

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

$1,207 ₪3,617

$805 ฿26.4K

49.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.3K ₪96.7K

$15.1K ฿496.1K

113.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ₪359

$54.8 ฿1,796

118.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.1 ₪222

$25.43 ฿834

191.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 ₪406

$91.9 ฿3,015

47.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 ₪494

$74.7 ฿2,449

120.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 ₪4,065

$467 ฿15.3K

190.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ₪3,065

$282 ฿9,251

262.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,208 ₪6,616

$891 ฿29.2K

147.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 ₪6,467

$521 ฿17.1K

314.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,868 ₪29.6K

$1,985 ฿65.1K

397.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,255 ₪21.7K

$1,462 ฿48.0K

396.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.03

5.57

-9.69%

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

Last update for Acre: August 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,357 in Acre and $467 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $113 in Acre vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $450 vs $237 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 192% lower than in Acre. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,026 in Acre and $1,380 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,357 in Acre versus $467 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Acre. 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 $113 in Acre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $920 in Chiang Mai versus $2,684 in Acre, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Acre. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $920 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Acre 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 192% less than in Acre. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.