Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala de Henares and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala de Henares and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,997 in Alcala de Henares versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,792 in Alcala de Henares versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,587 in Alcala de Henares versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Alcala de Henares is roughly 114% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alcala de Henares is 46% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 €15.25

$2.08 ฿69.5

741.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 €61.5

$19.61 ฿655

259.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 €10.25

$5.67 ฿189

107.41%

Cappuccino

$2.73 €2.38

$1.81 ฿60.3

50.83%

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

$3.25 €2.83

$0.77 ฿25.65

322.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.35 ฿11.53

462.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.57

$2.21 ฿73.9

85.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 €4.25

$3.79 ฿127

28.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$2.05 ฿68.4

-37.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 €1.42

$1.51 ฿50.6

7.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.40 ฿46.69

29.29%

Eggs

$3.03 €2.64

$2.26 ฿75.4

34.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.32 €20.32

$16.19 ฿540

44.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.29 €8.09

$2.90 ฿96.7

220.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.78 €15.50

$9.42 ฿314

88.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.47

$2.68 ฿89.4

5.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.09 ฿36.37

115.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 €2.06

$1.62 ฿54.0

45.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.34

$1.46 ฿48.74

84.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.28 ฿42.65

72.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.06 ฿35.31

110.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 €1.40

$0.72 ฿23.94

123.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$0.53 ฿17.56

39.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 €5.50

$4.23 ฿141

49.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €6.86

$18.29 ฿611

-56.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.63 ฿54.4

-25.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.91

$2.90 ฿96.8

-24.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 €1.33

$0.88 ฿29.32

73.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.93 €40.90

$53.8 ฿1,795

-12.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.32

$1.17 ฿39.14

225.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.58 ฿19.30

239.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.35 €20.35

$2.39 ฿79.6

876.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.45 ฿48.41

20.00%

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

$35.8K €31.2K

$21.0K ฿701.4K

70.18%

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

$31.2K €27.2K

$26.4K ฿882.0K

18.14%

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

$191 €166

$63.7 ฿2,125

199.84%

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

$20.11 €17.53

$12.89 ฿430

56.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.22 €28.09

$20.52 ฿685

57.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.96 €37.45

$39.02 ฿1,302

10.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.90 €7.76

$3.92 ฿131

127.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 €8.71

$6.58 ฿220

51.82%

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

$184 €161

$784 ฿26.2K

-76.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,051 €5,275

$14.7K ฿489.8K

-58.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.0 €66.2

$55.1 ฿1,840

37.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.10 €32.34

$24.74 ฿826

49.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 €69.7

$94.1 ฿3,142

-15.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.8 €85.3

$74.0 ฿2,469

32.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 €893

$490 ฿16.4K

108.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$899 €784

$288 ฿9,620

212.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 €1,663

$891 ฿29.8K

114.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 €1,024

$521 ฿17.4K

125.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,296 €3,745

$1,974 ฿65.9K

117.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,528 €3,075

$1,444 ฿48.2K

144.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,793 €1,563

$602 ฿20.1K

198.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.09

5.57

-44.52%

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

Last update for Alcala de Henares: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,024 in Alcala de Henares and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alcala de Henares pays 198% 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: $71.0 in Alcala de Henares vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 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

Alcala de Henares vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alcala de Henares and Chiang Mai differ by about 114% in total monthly costs ($1,997 vs $932 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 198% higher in Alcala de Henares, 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: $1,024 in Alcala de Henares versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $184 in Alcala de Henares versus $784 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Alcala de Henares. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,997 in Alcala de Henares, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Alcala de Henares. 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, Alcala de Henares 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 114% less than in Alcala de Henares. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.