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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,103 in Alberton versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,733 in Alberton versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,363 in Alberton versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Alberton is roughly 29% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alberton 17% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.32 R 137

$2.04 ฿68.2

307.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.30 R 548

$18.71 ฿624

77.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.43 R 72.9

$7.86 ฿262

-43.64%

Cappuccino

$2.04 R 33.64

$2.03 ฿67.7

0.49%

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

$1.01 R 16.70

$0.80 ฿26.64

26.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.44

$0.35 ฿11.68

134.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 R 37.70

$2.14 ฿71.5

7.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.17

$3.67 ฿122

-40.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 R 17.06

$1.73 ฿57.6

-39.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.46

$1.57 ฿52.4

-32.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.54

$1.20 ฿39.99

34.17%

Eggs

$2.09 R 34.43

$1.97 ฿65.8

6.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 127

$16.23 ฿541

-52.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.62 R 76.1

$3.06 ฿102

50.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.94 R 97.8

$10.80 ฿360

-45.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.97

$2.77 ฿92.3

-42.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.50

$1.17 ฿38.94

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.35

$1.71 ฿57.0

-9.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.06

$1.59 ฿53.2

-0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R 18.79

$1.39 ฿46.51

-17.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R 19.04

$1.16 ฿38.56

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.97

$0.66 ฿22.05

65.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 R 14.87

$0.52 ฿17.31

73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 R 46.84

$4.65 ฿155

-38.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.06 R 50.4

$17.78 ฿593

-82.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.14

$1.79 ฿59.6

-35.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 R 20.34

$3.34 ฿111

-62.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 R 47.03

$0.91 ฿30.27

214.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 R 1,859

$18.64 ฿622

505.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 R 23.59

$1.41 ฿47.04

1.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 R 22.51

$1.34 ฿44.70

2.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 R 49.44

$8.11 ฿270

-63.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R 20.88

$1.23 ฿41.16

3.25%

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

$19.6K R 322.3K

$21.4K ฿715.1K

-8.67%

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

$25.7K R 423.0K

$21.8K ฿728.0K

17.75%

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

$124 R 2,046

$71.3 ฿2,379

74.25%

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

$37.48 R 617

$14.01 ฿467

167.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.18 R 629

$17.93 ฿598

112.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.74 R 605

$40.82 ฿1,362

-10.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.20 R 234

$6.88 ฿230

106.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 R 89.8

$5.72 ฿191

-4.72%

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

$142 R 2,335

$308 ฿10.3K

-54.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,684 R 27.7K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-88.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.59 R 816

$55.8 ฿1,860

-11.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.23 R 498

$26.04 ฿869

16.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 R 1,444

$84.8 ฿2,829

3.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.5 R 1,440

$71.0 ฿2,368

23.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 R 6,683

$423 ฿14.1K

-4.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 R 5,168

$242 ฿8,088

29.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 R 14.1K

$797 ฿26.6K

7.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 R 11.4K

$507 ฿16.9K

36.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$724 R 11.9K

$1,918 ฿64.0K

-62.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$604 R 9,941

$1,464 ฿48.8K

-58.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,083 R 34.3K

$595 ฿19.9K

250.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

133.80%

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

Last update for Alberton: July 28, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $406 in Alberton and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alberton pays 250% 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: $33.00 in Alberton vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $167 vs $244, with Alberton cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 250% higher in Alberton, 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: $406 in Alberton versus $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Alberton pay roughly 46% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $33.00 in Alberton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,103 in Alberton, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Alberton. 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 Alberton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Alberton 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 29% less than in Alberton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.