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: $1,837 in Ambert versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,786 in Ambert versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,735 in Ambert versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ambert is roughly 116% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ambert is 38% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.85 €12.86

$2.04 ฿68.2

627.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.82 €39.68

$18.71 ฿624

144.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 €6.85

$7.86 ฿262

0.64%

Cappuccino

$3.85 €3.34

$2.03 ฿67.7

89.66%

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

$2.70 €2.34

$0.80 ฿26.64

237.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.64

$0.35 ฿11.68

440.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 €5.10

$2.14 ฿71.5

175.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 €4.03

$3.67 ฿122

26.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 €0.88

$1.73 ฿57.6

-41.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 €2.69

$1.57 ฿52.4

97.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$1.20 ฿39.99

125.00%

Eggs

$3.40 €2.95

$1.97 ฿65.8

72.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.20 €16.63

$16.23 ฿541

18.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.40 €13.33

$3.06 ฿102

403.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.97 €22.49

$10.80 ฿360

140.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.71

$2.77 ฿92.3

13.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.89

$1.17 ฿38.94

86.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 €2.15

$1.71 ฿57.0

45.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 €2.75

$1.59 ฿53.2

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.11

$1.39 ฿46.51

75.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 €2.34

$1.16 ฿38.56

132.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.37

$0.66 ฿22.05

140.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$0.52 ฿17.31

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.10 €12.21

$4.65 ฿155

203.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €6.97

$17.78 ฿593

-54.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.59

$1.79 ฿59.6

67.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.36

$3.34 ฿111

16.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 €1.72

$0.91 ฿30.27

117.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.10 €42.52

$18.64 ฿622

163.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 €4.38

$1.41 ฿47.04

258.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.34 ฿44.70

20.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.28 €28.82

$8.11 ฿270

310.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.73

$1.23 ฿41.16

62.60%

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

$37.0K €32.1K

$21.4K ฿715.1K

72.75%

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

$39.2K €33.9K

$21.8K ฿728.0K

79.62%

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

$194 €168

$71.3 ฿2,379

172.03%

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

$27.81 €24.09

$14.01 ฿467

98.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 €27.97

$17.93 ฿598

80.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.28 €33.15

$40.82 ฿1,362

-6.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 €15.64

$6.88 ฿230

162.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.13 €7.91

$5.72 ฿191

59.62%

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

$794 €688

$308 ฿10.3K

157.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,963 €6,896

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-45.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.1

$55.8 ฿1,860

84.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.32 €38.38

$26.04 ฿869

70.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.3

$84.8 ฿2,829

25.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 €158

$71.0 ฿2,368

157.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 €676

$423 ฿14.1K

84.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 €536

$242 ฿8,088

155.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 €1,190

$797 ฿26.6K

72.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 €948

$507 ฿16.9K

115.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,825 €3,313

$1,918 ฿64.0K

99.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,900 €2,511

$1,464 ฿48.8K

98.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,789 €1,549

$595 ฿19.9K

200.66%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $781 in Ambert and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ambert pays 201% 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 $398 vs $244 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 116% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $852 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 201% higher in Ambert, 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: $781 in Ambert versus $423 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 $1,837 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 116% less than in Ambert. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.