Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala la Real and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala la Real and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,670 in Alcala la Real versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,406 in Alcala la Real versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,142 in Alcala la Real versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Alcala la Real is roughly 93% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alcala la Real is 25% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.91 €14.55

$1.94 ฿63.5

771.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.98 €42.99

$18.64 ฿609

168.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 €10.50

$7.82 ฿255

56.14%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €1.94

$1.95 ฿63.8

15.90%

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

$1.93 €1.66

$0.85 ฿27.77

127.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$0.35 ฿11.58

351.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.13 ฿69.6

7.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 €3.07

$3.73 ฿122

-4.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.71 ฿56.0

-23.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.63 ฿53.2

-11.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.14 ฿37.15

32.46%

Eggs

$3.04 €2.61

$1.93 ฿63.1

57.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.18 €13.92

$16.21 ฿530

-0.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 €8.18

$3.12 ฿102

204.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 €12.18

$10.90 ฿356

29.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 €2.48

$2.75 ฿90.0

5.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.21 ฿39.52

31.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.62 ฿53.0

-7.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 €2.77

$1.59 ฿51.8

102.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.40 ฿45.70

30.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.17 ฿38.17

74.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.66 ฿21.60

116.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.53 ฿17.22

103.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.89

$4.69 ฿153

21.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 €5.43

$18.66 ฿609

-66.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.80 ฿58.8

-31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.53

$3.23 ฿106

-44.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.42

$0.90 ฿29.26

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.88 €29.14

$19.21 ฿628

76.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 €4.65

$1.41 ฿45.91

282.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 €0.85

$1.29 ฿42.12

-23.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.83 €24.80

$7.84 ฿256

267.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.54

$1.27 ฿41.58

41.73%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

81.21%

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

$30.1K €25.9K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

35.72%

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

$133 €115

$69.1 ฿2,256

92.96%

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

$20.42 €17.57

$14.08 ฿460

45.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.41 €23.58

$18.00 ฿588

52.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.88 €40.33

$41.06 ฿1,341

14.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.28 €13.14

$6.96 ฿227

119.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.37 €7.20

$5.92 ฿193

41.39%

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

$412 €354

$299 ฿9,766

37.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,632 €8,286

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-35.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 €60.9

$54.7 ฿1,787

29.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.06 €35.32

$26.77 ฿874

53.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 €84.1

$85.0 ฿2,776

15.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$70.6 ฿2,306

68.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$843 €725

$428 ฿14.0K

96.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 €602

$237 ฿7,752

194.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 €1,156

$801 ฿26.2K

67.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 €879

$515 ฿16.8K

98.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,945 €2,534

$1,975 ฿64.5K

49.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,353 €2,024

$1,475 ฿48.2K

59.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

-27.60%

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

Last update for Alcala la Real: May 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $843 in Alcala la Real and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Alcala la Real vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $246 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 la Real vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alcala la Real and Chiang Mai differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($1,670 vs $866 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,505 in Alcala la Real and $1,300 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: $843 in Alcala la Real versus $428 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 76% less than in Alcala la Real. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $412 in Alcala la Real versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,670 in Alcala la Real, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Alcala la Real. 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 la Real 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 93% less than in Alcala la Real. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.