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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $986 in Albion versus $950 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,622 in Albion versus $1,430 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,257 in Albion versus $1,909 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Albion is roughly 4% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Albion 28% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.81 MUR 272

$2.10 ฿69.3

176.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.48 MUR 1,801

$19.84 ฿656

93.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 MUR 304

$5.79 ฿191

12.09%

Cappuccino

$1.59 MUR 74.4

$1.83 ฿60.4

-13.11%

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

$1.19 MUR 55.9

$0.78 ฿25.61

52.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 MUR 31.16

$0.31 ฿10.37

116.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 MUR 93.9

$2.34 ฿77.2

-14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 MUR 122

$3.70 ฿122

-29.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MUR 67.2

$2.03 ฿67.1

-29.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 MUR 24.24

$1.60 ฿52.7

-67.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 MUR 52.3

$1.42 ฿46.75

-21.13%

Eggs

$2.37 MUR 111

$2.18 ฿71.9

8.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.28 MUR 247

$15.91 ฿526

-66.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 MUR 240

$3.07 ฿102

67.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.28 MUR 388

$9.87 ฿326

-16.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 MUR 73.2

$2.63 ฿86.8

-40.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 MUR 62.7

$1.10 ฿36.19

21.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 MUR 65.7

$1.63 ฿53.8

-14.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 MUR 91.1

$1.53 ฿50.6

27.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MUR 41.27

$1.24 ฿41.13

-29.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 MUR 29.34

$1.13 ฿37.37

-44.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 MUR 31.17

$0.74 ฿24.38

-9.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 MUR 15.69

$0.50 ฿16.48

-32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 MUR 284

$4.28 ฿141

41.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 MUR 367

$17.97 ฿594

-56.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MUR 79.2

$1.70 ฿56.1

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 MUR 107

$2.90 ฿95.7

-20.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 MUR 48.36

$0.94 ฿31.13

9.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.46 MUR 1,987

$55.3 ฿1,827

-23.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 MUR 194

$1.23 ฿40.76

236.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.24 MUR 152

$0.53 ฿17.66

511.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.33 MUR 998

$2.40 ฿79.3

788.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MUR 61.8

$1.44 ฿47.55

-8.33%

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

$36.2K MUR 1.7M

$21.2K ฿700.2K

70.84%

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

$30.7K MUR 1.4M

$27.3K ฿902.1K

12.56%

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

$44.32 MUR 2,074

$64.9 ฿2,145

-31.74%

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

$10.45 MUR 489

$13.35 ฿441

-21.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.17 MUR 1,365

$20.83 ฿688

40.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.24 MUR 1,649

$40.42 ฿1,336

-12.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 MUR 296

$6.71 ฿222

-5.66%

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

$129 MUR 6,037

$787 ฿26.0K

-83.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,793 MUR 364.7K

$15.1K ฿499.6K

-48.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 MUR 2,458

$56.2 ฿1,858

-6.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.95 MUR 1,963

$24.95 ฿824

68.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MUR 3,474

$92.7 ฿3,063

-19.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 MUR 3,634

$75.1 ฿2,482

3.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 MUR 26.7K

$484 ฿16.0K

18.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MUR 18.3K

$287 ฿9,491

36.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 MUR 52.4K

$910 ฿30.1K

22.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$835 MUR 39.1K

$531 ฿17.5K

57.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿47.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.57

19.75%

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

Last update for Albion: September 8, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $571 in Albion and $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Albion vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $170 vs $242, with Albion 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

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

Albion and Chiang Mai differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($986 vs $950 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,480 in Albion and $1,426 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: $571 in Albion versus $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 30% less than in Albion. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $129 in Albion versus $787 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $950 in Chiang Mai versus $986 in Albion, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Albion. 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, Albion 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 4% less than in Albion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.