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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,744 in Afula versus $942 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,117 in Afula versus $1,427 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,489 in Afula versus $1,912 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Afula is roughly 191% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Afula is 104% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.69 ₪80.9

$2.08 ฿69.6

1183.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.2 ₪285

$19.91 ฿665

372.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.31 ₪52.5

$5.58 ฿186

210.22%

Cappuccino

$4.91 ₪14.89

$1.74 ฿58.1

182.18%

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

$4.08 ₪12.37

$0.72 ฿24.05

466.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₪8.38

$0.32 ฿10.69

762.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 ₪29.37

$2.25 ฿75.2

330.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 ₪18.69

$3.81 ฿127

61.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 ₪8.13

$2.02 ฿67.5

32.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 ₪10.30

$1.57 ฿52.5

116.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 ₪10.33

$1.40 ฿46.66

143.57%

Eggs

$4.60 ₪13.95

$2.15 ฿72.0

113.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 ₪39.69

$15.63 ฿523

-16.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.60 ₪59.4

$2.95 ฿98.5

564.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.68 ₪80.9

$9.49 ฿317

181.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₪9.97

$2.60 ฿87.1

26.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 ₪8.88

$1.08 ฿36.15

171.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ₪6.91

$1.59 ฿53.2

43.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ₪4.80

$1.45 ฿48.56

8.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ₪4.87

$1.28 ฿42.67

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 ₪4.90

$1.11 ฿37.14

45.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 ₪5.86

$0.73 ฿24.27

164.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₪7.47

$0.50 ฿16.70

392.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.14 ₪48.92

$4.27 ฿143

277.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.77 ₪38.73

$17.67 ฿591

-27.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 ₪10.50

$1.68 ฿56.2

105.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 ₪12.47

$2.80 ฿93.6

46.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 ₪7.11

$0.87 ฿28.92

170.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 ₪269

$54.2 ฿1,812

63.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 ₪12.41

$1.21 ฿40.54

238.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 ₪4.22

$0.54 ฿18.01

157.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.24 ₪61.4

$2.39 ฿79.8

746.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 ₪7.87

$1.46 ฿48.93

77.40%

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

$57.8K ₪175.3K

$21.0K ฿702.5K

175.17%

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

$60.8K ₪184.3K

$26.7K ฿892.4K

127.77%

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

$285 ₪864

$62.1 ฿2,075

358.95%

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

$12.48 ₪37.84

$12.93 ฿432

-3.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.40 ₪80.0

$20.61 ฿689

28.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.7 ₪232

$39.21 ฿1,311

95.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.51 ₪71.3

$3.77 ฿126

523.61%

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 ₪38.26

$6.52 ฿218

93.56%

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

$1,157 ₪3,508

$803 ฿26.8K

44.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.9K ₪81.7K

$14.7K ฿491.3K

83.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₪164

$55.9 ฿1,867

-3.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.1 ₪200

$25.51 ฿853

159.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₪387

$91.1 ฿3,045

40.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 ₪471

$73.3 ฿2,450

111.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 ₪4,604

$484 ฿16.2K

214.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 ₪3,542

$288 ฿9,634

305.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,396 ₪7,264

$885 ฿29.6K

170.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 ₪5,759

$523 ฿17.5K

262.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,769 ₪29.6K

$1,989 ฿66.5K

391.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,988 ₪24.2K

$1,440 ฿48.2K

454.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,367 ₪10.2K

$603 ฿20.2K

458.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

5.57

-27.29%

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

Last update for Afula: September 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,519 in Afula and $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Afula pays 459% 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: $94.0 in Afula vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 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

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

Afula and Chiang Mai differ by about 191% in total monthly costs ($2,744 vs $942 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 459% higher in Afula, 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: $1,519 in Afula versus $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Afula. 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 $94.0 in Afula. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $942 in Chiang Mai versus $2,744 in Afula, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Afula. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Afula 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 191% less than in Afula. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.