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: $2,095 in Afula versus $869 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Afula versus $1,362 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,377 in Afula versus $1,855 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Afula is roughly 141% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Afula is 56% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 ₪64.6

$1.98 ฿64.3

1019.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 ₪253

$18.80 ฿612

362.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.84 ₪49.10

$7.75 ฿252

117.29%

Cappuccino

$4.36 ₪12.70

$1.92 ฿62.5

127.08%

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

$3.06 ₪8.93

$0.79 ฿25.79

287.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₪6.59

$0.36 ฿11.62

527.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.56 ₪24.95

$2.21 ฿72.1

287.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.80 ₪28.57

$3.66 ฿119

167.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 ₪5.76

$1.65 ฿53.8

19.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₪4.00

$1.63 ฿53.2

-15.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ₪6.60

$1.19 ฿38.86

89.92%

Eggs

$4.03 ₪11.76

$2.00 ฿65.1

101.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 ₪38.28

$15.98 ฿520

-17.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 ₪27.07

$3.03 ฿98.5

206.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.06 ₪32.26

$10.86 ฿354

1.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ₪7.27

$2.76 ฿90.0

-9.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₪4.81

$1.18 ฿38.42

39.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 ₪5.03

$1.64 ฿53.5

4.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 ₪5.41

$1.52 ฿49.51

22.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 ₪3.35

$1.38 ฿45.10

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ₪3.00

$1.19 ฿38.84

-13.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 ₪6.06

$0.70 ฿22.86

197.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₪3.24

$0.56 ฿18.13

98.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.21 ₪23.93

$4.58 ฿149

79.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.84 ₪49.11

$16.56 ฿539

1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 ₪7.98

$1.83 ฿59.5

49.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ₪10.67

$3.20 ฿104

14.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 ₪4.76

$0.88 ฿28.56

85.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.17 ₪82.1

$18.72 ฿610

50.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 ₪11.63

$1.36 ฿44.16

193.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₪2.52

$1.34 ฿43.65

-35.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 ₪120

$7.84 ฿256

425.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 ₪5.94

$1.23 ฿39.92

65.85%

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

$39.7K ₪115.9K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

83.79%

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

$47.0K ₪137.0K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

108.41%

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

$184 ₪535

$70.5 ฿2,298

160.18%

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

$11.45 ₪33.39

$13.68 ฿445

-16.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.89 ₪66.7

$17.45 ฿568

31.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.49 ₪124

$41.33 ฿1,346

2.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.52 ₪54.0

$6.96 ฿227

166.09%

Cinema Ticket

$12.48 ₪36.40

$5.77 ฿188

116.29%

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

$841 ₪2,451

$307 ฿10.0K

173.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K ₪53.3K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

25.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 ₪247

$55.8 ฿1,817

51.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.0 ₪184

$26.21 ฿854

140.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 ₪387

$85.8 ฿2,793

54.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 ₪486

$72.2 ฿2,353

130.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 ₪2,973

$430 ฿14.0K

137.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$941 ₪2,743

$239 ฿7,774

294.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 ₪2,964

$817 ฿26.6K

24.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₪1,943

$511 ฿16.6K

30.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,863 ₪25.8K

$1,983 ฿64.6K

346.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,293 ₪21.3K

$1,484 ฿48.3K

391.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,200 ₪15.2K

$619 ฿20.2K

740.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-40.00%

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

Last update for Afula: June 8, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Afula and $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Afula pays 740% 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: $87.0 in Afula vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $241 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 141% in total monthly costs ($2,095 vs $869 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Afula pays 740% 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: $1,020 in Afula versus $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% 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 $19.00 versus $87.0 in Afula. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $2,095 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 141% less than in Afula. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.