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: $1,634 in Alcala la Real versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Alcala la Real versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,163 in Alcala la Real versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Alcala la Real is roughly 90% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alcala la Real is 22% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €14.73

$1.96 ฿65.7

760.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 €44.54

$18.35 ฿616

177.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.97 €10.46

$7.48 ฿251

60.03%

Cappuccino

$2.15 €1.88

$2.02 ฿67.7

6.44%

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

$1.95 €1.71

$0.85 ฿28.45

129.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.36 ฿11.94

338.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 €2.06

$2.14 ฿71.7

9.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 €3.06

$3.59 ฿121

-2.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.65 ฿55.4

-19.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.57 ฿52.6

-8.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 €1.27

$1.19 ฿39.95

21.85%

Eggs

$2.93 €2.56

$1.94 ฿65.0

51.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.10 €14.06

$16.19 ฿544

-0.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 €8.48

$2.99 ฿100

224.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 €12.25

$10.94 ฿367

28.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 €2.57

$2.71 ฿91.0

8.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.33

$1.17 ฿39.18

29.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.69 ฿56.6

-8.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 €2.85

$1.60 ฿53.9

103.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.38 ฿46.45

31.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.20 ฿40.38

65.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.20

$0.67 ฿22.46

105.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.93

$0.56 ฿18.70

89.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.66 €4.94

$4.64 ฿156

21.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 €5.53

$17.62 ฿591

-64.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.86 ฿62.4

-34.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.50

$3.30 ฿111

-48.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.48

$0.88 ฿29.63

93.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.52 €30.16

$19.34 ฿649

78.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 €4.74

$1.36 ฿45.82

298.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 €0.87

$1.34 ฿44.90

-25.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.23 €25.54

$8.21 ฿276

256.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.22 ฿41.11

40.16%

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

$38.9K €34.0K

$21.4K ฿716.8K

82.35%

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

$30.2K €26.4K

$22.5K ฿756.3K

34.10%

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

$136 €119

$70.7 ฿2,372

91.96%

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

$20.86 €18.23

$14.04 ฿471

48.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 €24.54

$17.49 ฿587

60.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.84 €40.93

$42.15 ฿1,415

11.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 €13.08

$6.88 ฿231

117.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 €7.40

$5.92 ฿199

43.07%

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

$407 €356

$309 ฿10.4K

31.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,845 €8,602

$14.9K ฿499.5K

-33.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 €61.5

$55.8 ฿1,872

26.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.92 €34.88

$26.11 ฿877

52.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €87.6

$83.0 ฿2,787

20.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €105

$70.5 ฿2,365

69.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 €740

$432 ฿14.5K

95.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 €601

$239 ฿8,020

187.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 €1,157

$822 ฿27.6K

61.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 €871

$512 ฿17.2K

94.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,649 €3,188

$1,915 ฿64.3K

90.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,364 €2,065

$1,467 ฿49.3K

61.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $846 in Alcala la Real and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Alcala la Real vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $243 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 90% in total monthly costs ($1,634 vs $861 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,451 in Alcala la Real and $1,292 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: $846 in Alcala la Real versus $432 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 78% less than in Alcala la Real. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $407 in Alcala la Real versus $309 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,634 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 90% less than in Alcala la Real. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.