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: $1,873 in Ambert versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,821 in Ambert versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,769 in Ambert versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ambert is roughly 101% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ambert is 37% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 €13.21

$2.08 ฿69.5

628.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 €40.89

$19.61 ฿655

139.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 €6.89

$5.67 ฿189

39.51%

Cappuccino

$3.68 €3.20

$1.81 ฿60.3

103.31%

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

$3.12 €2.72

$0.77 ฿25.65

305.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.81

$0.35 ฿11.53

494.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €4.91

$2.21 ฿73.9

154.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €3.91

$3.79 ฿127

18.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.92

$2.05 ฿68.4

-48.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 €2.04

$1.51 ฿50.6

54.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.36

$1.40 ฿46.69

93.57%

Eggs

$3.35 €2.92

$2.26 ฿75.4

48.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.22 €16.75

$16.19 ฿540

18.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.52 €12.66

$2.90 ฿96.7

400.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.92 €22.59

$9.42 ฿314

175.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 €2.57

$2.68 ฿89.4

10.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.09 ฿36.37

126.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.19

$1.62 ฿54.0

54.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.78

$1.46 ฿48.74

118.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.15

$1.28 ฿42.65

92.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 €2.69

$1.06 ฿35.31

191.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.48

$0.72 ฿23.94

136.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.54

$0.53 ฿17.56

18.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.33 €12.49

$4.23 ฿141

238.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.70 €6.71

$18.29 ฿611

-57.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.81 €3.32

$1.63 ฿54.4

133.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.47

$2.90 ฿96.8

-2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.55

$0.88 ฿29.32

101.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.14 €41.09

$53.8 ฿1,795

-12.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 €4.52

$1.17 ฿39.14

342.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 €1.55

$0.58 ฿19.30

206.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.07 €30.57

$2.39 ฿79.6

1367.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.45 ฿48.41

46.90%

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

$35.2K €30.7K

$21.0K ฿701.4K

67.58%

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

$35.9K €31.3K

$26.4K ฿882.0K

35.91%

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

$220 €192

$63.7 ฿2,125

246.38%

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

$17.10 €14.90

$12.89 ฿430

32.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.84 €27.75

$20.52 ฿685

55.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.38 €30.84

$39.02 ฿1,302

-9.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 €7.80

$6.58 ฿220

36.02%

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

$785 €684

$784 ฿26.2K

0.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €11.8K

$14.7K ฿489.8K

-7.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €81.3

$55.1 ฿1,840

69.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 €45.04

$24.74 ฿826

108.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €94.1

$94.1 ฿3,142

14.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 €160

$74.0 ฿2,469

148.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 €664

$490 ฿16.4K

55.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 €559

$288 ฿9,620

122.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 €1,328

$891 ฿29.8K

70.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 €1,003

$521 ฿17.4K

120.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,854 €3,360

$1,974 ฿65.9K

95.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,887 €2,517

$1,444 ฿48.2K

99.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,839 €1,603

$602 ฿20.1K

205.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.57

-31.60%

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

Last update for Ambert: September 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $762 in Ambert and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ambert pays 206% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 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 101% in total monthly costs ($1,873 vs $932 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 206% 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: $762 in Ambert versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% 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 $20.00 versus $47.00 in Ambert. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,873 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 101% less than in Ambert. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.