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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Alexandria versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,407 in Alexandria versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Alexandria versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Alexandria costs roughly 3% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alexandria 33% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.77 RON 39.62

$2.08 ฿68.6

321.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.51 RON 147

$19.64 ฿646

65.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.70 RON 34.77

$5.65 ฿186

36.28%

Cappuccino

$1.74 RON 7.85

$1.81 ฿59.4

-3.87%

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

$1.93 RON 8.71

$0.71 ฿23.45

171.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 RON 7.06

$0.32 ฿10.38

387.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 RON 9.81

$2.24 ฿73.6

-3.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 RON 11.83

$3.63 ฿119

-27.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 RON 6.78

$1.96 ฿64.4

-23.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 RON 3.78

$1.50 ฿49.39

-44.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 RON 5.45

$1.34 ฿43.93

-9.70%

Eggs

$2.19 RON 9.90

$2.26 ฿74.5

-3.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.16 RON 23.31

$16.26 ฿535

-68.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.69 RON 21.20

$2.95 ฿97.1

58.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 RON 38.32

$9.94 ฿327

-14.69%

Apples (1kg)

$0.91 RON 4.10

$2.57 ฿84.6

-64.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.35

$1.06 ฿34.73

11.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.42

$1.61 ฿53.0

-39.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 RON 4.58

$1.52 ฿49.97

-33.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 RON 3.10

$1.27 ฿41.77

-45.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 RON 2.93

$1.07 ฿35.06

-39.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RON 3.36

$0.72 ฿23.68

2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RON 4.04

$0.51 ฿16.72

74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 RON 24.97

$4.19 ฿138

31.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.38 RON 24.32

$17.87 ฿587

-69.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 RON 4.35

$1.69 ฿55.7

-43.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 RON 4.88

$2.84 ฿93.3

-61.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 RON 2.85

$0.93 ฿30.43

-32.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.26 RON 200

$53.9 ฿1,771

-17.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 RON 2.04

$1.23 ฿40.59

-63.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 RON 1.91

$0.58 ฿18.96

-27.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 RON 26.06

$2.42 ฿79.7

138.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 RON 7.57

$1.41 ฿46.43

19.15%

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

$17.2K RON 77.5K

$21.4K ฿705.1K

-20.01%

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

$23.7K RON 107.0K

$27.3K ฿898.7K

-13.35%

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

$122 RON 551

$63.7 ฿2,093

91.60%

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

$5.59 RON 25.26

$12.85 ฿423

-56.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.02 RON 36.21

$20.22 ฿665

-60.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 RON 283

$38.74 ฿1,274

61.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 RON 121

$3.97 ฿130

576.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 RON 29.36

$6.74 ฿222

-3.56%

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

$326 RON 1,474

$778 ฿25.6K

-58.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,983 RON 31.5K

$14.6K ฿480.4K

-52.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 RON 253

$54.3 ฿1,785

3.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.04 RON 104

$25.45 ฿837

-9.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.5 RON 305

$94.3 ฿3,102

-28.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.9 RON 302

$73.4 ฿2,415

-8.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$334 RON 1,507

$490 ฿16.1K

-31.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 RON 1,146

$289 ฿9,512

-12.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 RON 2,782

$894 ฿29.4K

-31.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,021

$517 ฿17.0K

-13.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,314 RON 5,934

$1,955 ฿64.3K

-32.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$838 RON 3,784

$1,477 ฿48.6K

-43.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$906 RON 4,093

$602 ฿19.8K

50.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.73

5.57

20.83%

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

Last update for Alexandria: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $334 in Alexandria and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Alexandria vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $157 vs $240, with Alexandria cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Alexandria wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Alexandria, 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: $334 in Alexandria versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Alexandria versus $947 in Chiang Mai – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 22% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Alexandria versus $947 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alexandria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $918 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alexandria hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Alexandria 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 Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.