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: $1,860 in Ambert versus $869 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,766 in Ambert versus $1,362 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,672 in Ambert versus $1,855 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ambert is roughly 114% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ambert is 38% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.80 €12.75

$1.98 ฿64.3

647.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.87 €40.38

$18.80 ฿612

149.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 €6.88

$7.75 ฿252

3.10%

Cappuccino

$3.70 €3.18

$1.92 ฿62.5

92.71%

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

$2.70 €2.33

$0.79 ฿25.79

241.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.36 ฿11.62

427.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €4.85

$2.21 ฿72.1

154.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 €4.06

$3.66 ฿119

28.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.65 ฿53.8

-35.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 €2.58

$1.63 ฿53.2

83.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$1.19 ฿38.86

121.85%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.04

$2.00 ฿65.1

76.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.23 €16.57

$15.98 ฿520

20.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.69 €13.52

$3.03 ฿98.5

417.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.08 €22.47

$10.86 ฿354

140.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.70

$2.76 ฿90.0

13.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.18 ฿38.42

83.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.64 ฿53.5

53.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.16 €2.73

$1.52 ฿49.51

107.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.38 ฿45.10

69.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 €2.34

$1.19 ฿38.84

127.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.35

$0.70 ฿22.86

122.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.56 ฿18.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.70 €11.81

$4.58 ฿149

199.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 €7.04

$16.56 ฿539

-50.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.83 ฿59.5

62.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 €3.28

$3.20 ฿104

18.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.88 ฿28.56

118.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.31 €41.62

$18.72 ฿610

158.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 €4.40

$1.36 ฿44.16

275.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.34 ฿43.65

14.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.90 €29.21

$7.84 ฿256

332.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.23 ฿39.92

69.92%

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

$36.9K €31.8K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

70.54%

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

$37.8K €32.6K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

67.60%

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

$196 €169

$70.5 ฿2,298

178.31%

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

$27.77 €23.93

$13.68 ฿445

103.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.97

$17.45 ฿568

79.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.43 €32.25

$41.33 ฿1,346

-9.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 €15.78

$6.96 ฿227

163.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.12 €7.86

$5.77 ฿188

58.06%

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

$788 €679

$307 ฿10.0K

156.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,988 €6,882

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-45.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €86.7

$55.8 ฿1,817

80.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.33 €38.20

$26.21 ฿854

69.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €90.3

$85.8 ฿2,793

22.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 €157

$72.2 ฿2,353

152.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 €667

$430 ฿14.0K

80.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 €527

$239 ฿7,774

156.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,370 €1,181

$817 ฿26.6K

67.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 €951

$511 ฿16.6K

116.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 €3,102

$1,983 ฿64.6K

81.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,524 €3,036

$1,484 ฿48.3K

137.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,811 €1,560

$619 ฿20.2K

192.67%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $775 in Ambert and $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ambert pays 193% 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: $47.00 in Ambert vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $241 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 114% in total monthly costs ($1,860 vs $869 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ambert pays 193% 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: $775 in Ambert versus $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% 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 $47.00 in Ambert. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $1,860 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 114% less than in Ambert. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.