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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,659 in Alessandria versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,523 in Alessandria versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Alessandria versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Alessandria is roughly 75% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alessandria is 21% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.90 €15.40

$2.08 ฿68.5

760.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €60.1

$19.64 ฿646

255.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 €10.19

$5.65 ฿186

109.56%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.65

$1.81 ฿59.3

6.08%

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

$3.14 €2.70

$0.71 ฿23.44

342.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.02

$0.32 ฿10.38

271.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 €3.97

$2.24 ฿73.5

106.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 €3.99

$3.63 ฿119

27.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.96 ฿64.4

-13.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.17

$1.50 ฿49.38

68.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 €2.35

$1.34 ฿43.92

103.73%

Eggs

$3.84 €3.30

$2.26 ฿74.4

69.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.28 €14.01

$16.26 ฿534

0.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 €9.04

$2.95 ฿97.1

256.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.61 €18.60

$9.94 ฿327

117.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.57 ฿84.5

-9.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.06 ฿34.72

85.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 €2.53

$1.61 ฿53.0

82.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.52 ฿49.96

92.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.27 ฿41.76

27.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.07 ฿35.05

54.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.72 ฿23.67

155.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 €0.43

$0.51 ฿16.72

-1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.90

$4.19 ฿138

63.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.98

$17.87 ฿587

-74.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.69 ฿55.7

-2.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 €2.13

$2.84 ฿93.2

-12.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.15 €1.85

$0.93 ฿30.42

131.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 €69.3

$53.9 ฿1,770

49.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 €4.95

$1.23 ฿40.58

367.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 €2.03

$0.58 ฿18.96

306.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.4 €54.5

$2.42 ฿79.7

2519.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.41 ฿46.42

50.35%

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

$37.0K €31.8K

$21.4K ฿704.9K

72.52%

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

$37.3K €32.1K

$27.3K ฿898.5K

36.29%

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

$262 €226

$63.7 ฿2,093

312.09%

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

$10.61 €9.13

$12.85 ฿423

-17.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.22 €25.15

$20.22 ฿665

44.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.34 €34.71

$38.74 ฿1,274

4.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.97 €30.09

$3.97 ฿130

780.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.28 €7.98

$6.74 ฿221

37.69%

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

$532 €458

$778 ฿25.6K

-31.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,831 €5,017

$14.6K ฿480.2K

-60.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.5 €85.6

$54.3 ฿1,785

83.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 €45.51

$25.45 ฿836

107.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 €82.0

$94.3 ฿3,101

1.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €143

$73.4 ฿2,414

126.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 €407

$490 ฿16.1K

-3.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 €395

$289 ฿9,510

58.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 €679

$894 ฿29.4K

-11.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 €560

$517 ฿17.0K

25.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,401 €2,066

$1,955 ฿64.3K

22.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,496 €1,287

$1,477 ฿48.5K

1.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,877 €1,615

$602 ฿19.8K

211.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.17

5.57

-43.09%

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

Last update for Alessandria: August 29, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $473 in Alessandria and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alessandria pays 212% 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: $70.0 in Alessandria vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $329 vs $240 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

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

Alessandria and Chiang Mai differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($1,659 vs $947 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 212% higher in Alessandria, 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: $473 in Alessandria versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $532 in Alessandria versus $778 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Alessandria. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $1,659 in Alessandria, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Alessandria. 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, Alessandria 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 75% less than in Alessandria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.