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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,811 in Ambert versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Ambert versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,674 in Ambert versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ambert is roughly 112% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ambert is 35% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.97 €12.79

$1.96 ฿63.6

663.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.58 €38.93

$18.81 ฿611

142.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 €6.99

$7.92 ฿258

3.28%

Cappuccino

$3.71 €3.17

$1.91 ฿62.2

94.24%

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

$2.65 €2.27

$0.84 ฿27.25

215.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.62

$0.35 ฿11.44

440.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €4.92

$2.21 ฿71.7

160.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 €4.04

$3.80 ฿124

24.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 €0.87

$1.64 ฿53.2

-37.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 €2.54

$1.62 ฿52.8

83.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.65 €2.26

$1.18 ฿38.40

124.58%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.02

$2.01 ฿65.4

75.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.74 €16.00

$15.89 ฿517

17.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.23 €13.00

$3.01 ฿98.0

405.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.02 €22.22

$10.77 ฿350

141.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.70

$2.61 ฿85.0

21.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.91

$1.22 ฿39.65

82.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.22

$1.70 ฿55.4

52.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 €2.70

$1.58 ฿51.2

100.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.32 ฿42.89

82.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$1.17 ฿38.01

132.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.67 ฿21.85

134.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.56 ฿18.21

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.73 €11.73

$4.53 ฿147

203.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 €6.99

$18.20 ฿592

-55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 €2.62

$1.83 ฿59.6

67.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 €3.26

$3.23 ฿105

18.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 €1.70

$0.89 ฿28.83

123.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.46 €41.38

$19.38 ฿630

150.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 €4.49

$1.35 ฿43.95

288.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.35 ฿43.79

13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.09 €29.12

$8.25 ฿268

313.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.27 ฿41.40

65.35%

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

$37.1K €31.7K

$21.2K ฿687.8K

75.43%

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

$39.1K €33.4K

$22.5K ฿731.0K

73.76%

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

$196 €168

$70.2 ฿2,281

179.86%

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

$28.17 €24.06

$13.77 ฿448

104.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.80 €27.16

$17.60 ฿572

80.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.80 €32.28

$41.57 ฿1,352

-9.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.58 €15.87

$6.60 ฿215

181.52%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 €7.60

$5.78 ฿188

53.81%

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

$769 €657

$306 ฿9,953

151.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,089 €6,908

$14.8K ฿482.0K

-45.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €86.1

$54.4 ฿1,768

85.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.23 €37.77

$26.14 ฿850

69.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €91.5

$84.5 ฿2,748

26.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$180 €154

$69.4 ฿2,257

158.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 €655

$424 ฿13.8K

80.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 €535

$238 ฿7,743

163.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,370 €1,170

$825 ฿26.8K

66.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 €909

$515 ฿16.7K

106.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,926 €3,353

$2,049 ฿66.6K

91.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,574 €2,199

$1,523 ฿49.5K

69.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,895 €1,618

$635 ฿20.6K

198.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

-27.20%

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

Last update for Ambert: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $767 in Ambert and $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ambert pays 198% 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: $46.00 in Ambert vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 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

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

Ambert and Chiang Mai differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($1,811 vs $852 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ambert pays 198% more on average, 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: $767 in Ambert versus $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Ambert. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $46.00 in Ambert. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,811 in Ambert, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Ambert. 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, Ambert 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 112% less than in Ambert. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.