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: $1,961 in Acre versus $848 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,053 in Acre versus $1,331 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,145 in Acre versus $1,814 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Acre is roughly 131% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Acre is 47% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.41 ₪65.4

$1.96 ฿63.6

1043.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.1 ₪246

$18.39 ฿598

357.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.76 ₪46.02

$7.87 ฿256

100.25%

Cappuccino

$4.13 ₪12.07

$1.95 ฿63.4

111.79%

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

$3.07 ₪8.97

$0.85 ฿27.57

261.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₪6.86

$0.32 ฿10.52

634.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.79 ₪25.66

$2.14 ฿69.6

310.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.39 ₪24.51

$3.68 ฿120

127.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ₪6.15

$1.66 ฿53.9

27.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 ₪8.52

$1.56 ฿50.7

87.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 ₪9.30

$1.19 ฿38.63

168.07%

Eggs

$4.28 ₪12.51

$1.99 ฿64.7

115.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.16 ₪50.1

$16.24 ฿528

5.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.60 ₪30.96

$3.17 ฿103

234.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.84 ₪63.8

$10.84 ฿352

101.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 ₪9.26

$2.65 ฿86.2

19.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 ₪6.78

$1.22 ฿39.67

90.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ₪5.56

$1.65 ฿53.7

15.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 ₪6.42

$1.55 ฿50.3

41.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 ₪5.00

$1.33 ฿43.17

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ₪4.57

$1.21 ฿39.43

28.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 ₪5.64

$0.68 ฿22.04

183.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₪4.63

$0.57 ฿18.38

178.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.76 ₪31.41

$4.68 ฿152

129.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.51 ₪39.46

$16.99 ฿552

-20.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 ₪8.54

$1.82 ฿59.3

60.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₪10.21

$3.18 ฿103

10.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 ₪4.77

$0.91 ฿29.46

79.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 ₪206

$18.74 ฿609

277.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 ₪11.67

$1.41 ฿45.80

183.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₪2.37

$1.34 ฿43.52

-39.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.23 ₪97.0

$8.14 ฿265

308.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 ₪6.02

$1.28 ฿41.53

60.94%

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

$46.4K ₪135.5K

$21.8K ฿709.3K

112.55%

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

$44.5K ₪129.8K

$22.4K ฿728.0K

98.45%

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

$240 ₪700

$70.5 ฿2,291

240.01%

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

$9.93 ₪28.98

$14.05 ฿457

-29.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.34 ₪79.9

$17.65 ฿574

54.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$107 ₪313

$41.29 ฿1,342

159.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.05 ₪5.98

$6.76 ฿220

-69.67%

Cinema Ticket

$12.90 ₪37.67

$5.96 ฿194

116.44%

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

$1,058 ₪3,089

$303 ฿9,846

249.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,931 ₪11.5K

$15.0K ฿486.2K

-73.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 ₪251

$54.7 ฿1,778

57.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 ₪156

$26.29 ฿854

103.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 ₪387

$85.8 ฿2,788

54.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₪317

$69.7 ฿2,265

55.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 ₪1,817

$428 ฿13.9K

45.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 ₪1,533

$239 ฿7,769

119.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 ₪2,924

$811 ฿26.4K

23.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 ₪2,777

$510 ฿16.6K

86.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₪17.1K

$2,025 ฿65.8K

189.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,072 ₪14.8K

$1,502 ฿48.8K

237.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.35

7.00%

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

Last update for Acre: June 15, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $622 in Acre and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $84.0 in Acre vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $242 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 131% 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 $2,941 in Acre and $1,272 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: $622 in Acre versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% 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 $18.00 versus $84.0 in Acre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $848 in Chiang Mai versus $1,961 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 $848 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 131% less than in Acre. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.