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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,081 per month in Alexandra vs $906 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,681 per month in Alexandra vs $1,385 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,281 per month in Alexandra vs $1,864 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Alexandra costs about 19% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Alexandra and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Alexandra 19% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.77 R 146

$2.13 ฿71.6

311.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.71 R 611

$19.40 ฿652

89.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.26 R 87.5

$5.47 ฿184

-3.84%

Cappuccino

$2.23 R 37.05

$1.68 ฿56.6

32.74%

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

$1.08 R 17.90

$0.66 ฿22.18

63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.59

$0.34 ฿11.56

141.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R 37.71

$2.42 ฿81.3

-6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 R 45.25

$3.73 ฿125

-27.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 19.20

$2.06 ฿69.2

-44.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 R 18.65

$1.46 ฿48.95

-23.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 R 29.22

$1.35 ฿45.25

30.37%

Eggs

$2.49 R 41.37

$2.27 ฿76.2

9.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 R 135

$16.31 ฿548

-50.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 R 79.7

$2.70 ฿90.6

77.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.04 R 117

$9.20 ฿309

-23.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.42

$2.39 ฿80.4

-28.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.39

$1.04 ฿34.78

58.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.58

$1.60 ฿53.9

11.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.88

$1.44 ฿48.54

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.58

$1.30 ฿43.75

-13.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 R 20.10

$1.11 ฿37.43

9.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.54

$0.70 ฿23.64

67.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 R 21.22

$0.51 ฿17.05

150.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 R 55.4

$4.13 ฿139

-19.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.23 R 87.0

$17.78 ฿598

-70.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 25.28

$1.63 ฿54.9

-6.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 R 32.42

$2.87 ฿96.4

-32.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 25.10

$0.86 ฿28.86

75.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,786

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 R 4.77

$1.22 ฿40.96

-76.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R 13.51

$0.56 ฿18.88

44.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.50 R 241

$2.31 ฿77.7

527.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.84

$1.50 ฿50.3

3.33%

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

$34.8K R 579.4K

$20.9K ฿700.8K

67.01%

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

$32.3K R 537.3K

$26.7K ฿898.3K

20.83%

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

$150 R 2,489

$61.3 ฿2,058

144.24%

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

$36.74 R 611

$12.50 ฿420

193.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.44 R 606

$20.36 ฿684

78.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.49 R 557

$37.94 ฿1,275

-11.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.98 R 166

$3.77 ฿127

164.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.36 R 122

$6.60 ฿222

11.52%

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

$242 R 4,025

$774 ฿26.0K

-68.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,496 R 91.4K

$14.4K ฿485.0K

-61.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 R 871

$54.8 ฿1,841

-4.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.36 R 522

$25.26 ฿849

24.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 R 1,505

$90.6 ฿3,043

-0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 R 1,390

$73.3 ฿2,461

14.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 R 7,262

$459 ฿15.4K

-4.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 6,098

$294 ฿9,871

24.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 R 11.6K

$919 ฿30.9K

-24.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$746 R 12.4K

$552 ฿18.5K

35.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$896 R 14.9K

$1,917 ฿64.4K

-53.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$642 R 10.7K

$1,445 ฿48.5K

-55.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,739 R 28.9K

$592 ฿19.9K

193.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

5.57

95.87%

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

Last update for Alexandra: October 3, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $437 in Alexandra versus $459 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 194% higher in Alexandra, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Alexandra versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Alexandra vs $236 in Chiang Mai – so Alexandra wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Alexandra costs about 19% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,622 per month in Alexandra and $1,359 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,081 in Alexandra and $906 in Chiang Mai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $242 per month in Alexandra and $774 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Alexandra at $1,081. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alexandra it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $906 versus $1,081 in Alexandra. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alexandra makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.