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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,400 in Asmara versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,194 in Asmara versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,988 in Asmara versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Asmara is roughly 48% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Asmara is 2% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.28 ERN 320

$2.08 ฿68.5

923.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.91 ERN 510

$19.64 ฿646

72.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 ERN 92.6

$5.65 ฿186

8.85%

Cappuccino

$0.83 ERN 12.46

$1.81 ฿59.3

-54.14%

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

$0.98 ERN 14.80

$0.71 ฿23.44

38.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ERN 14.88

$0.32 ฿10.38

209.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.58 ERN 8.78

$2.24 ฿73.5

-74.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ERN 23.85

$1.96 ฿64.4

-19.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.38

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 ERN 35.61

$1.34 ฿43.92

76.87%

Eggs

$4.26 ERN 64.1

$2.26 ฿74.4

88.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.93 ERN 44.08

$16.26 ฿534

-81.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.34 ERN 411

$2.95 ฿97.1

826.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 ERN 149

$9.94 ฿327

-0.30%

Apples (1kg)

$12.25 ERN 184

$2.57 ฿84.5

376.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ERN 18.80

$1.06 ฿34.72

17.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ERN 29.69

$1.61 ฿53.0

22.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ERN 17.13

$1.52 ฿49.96

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 ERN 27.79

$1.27 ฿41.76

45.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ERN 13.63

$1.07 ฿35.05

-14.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.67

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 ERN 34.24

$0.51 ฿16.72

345.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 ERN 182

$17.87 ฿587

-32.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ERN 15.38

$1.69 ฿55.7

-39.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 ERN 14.79

$2.84 ฿93.2

-65.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.11 ERN 1.67

$0.93 ฿30.42

-88.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 ERN 118

$53.9 ฿1,770

-85.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.58

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ERN 8.83

$0.58 ฿18.96

1.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 ERN 150

$2.42 ฿79.7

311.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.52 ERN 37.99

$1.41 ฿46.42

78.72%

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

$66.8K ERN 1.0M

$21.4K ฿704.9K

211.44%

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

$70.8K ERN 1.1M

$27.3K ฿898.5K

159.13%

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

$25.04 ERN 377

$63.7 ฿2,093

-60.67%

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

$69.0 ERN 1,038

$12.85 ฿423

436.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$198 ERN 2,978

$20.22 ฿665

878.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.53 ERN 399

$38.74 ฿1,274

-31.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.90 ERN 73.7

$3.97 ฿130

23.43%

Cinema Ticket

$1.22 ERN 18.30

$6.74 ฿221

-81.90%

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

$25.05 ERN 377

$778 ฿25.6K

-96.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,644 ERN 39.8K

$14.6K ฿480.2K

-81.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 ERN 2,037

$54.3 ฿1,785

149.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$118 ERN 1,772

$25.45 ฿836

362.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$202 ERN 3,037

$94.3 ฿3,101

113.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 ERN 2,270

$73.4 ฿2,414

105.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 ERN 3,743

$490 ฿16.1K

-49.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 ERN 3,006

$289 ฿9,510

-30.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 ERN 6,698

$894 ฿29.4K

-50.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 ERN 6,297

$517 ฿17.0K

-19.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,271 ERN 19.1K

$1,955 ฿64.3K

-34.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,529 ERN 38.1K

$1,477 ฿48.5K

71.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

115.44%

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

Last update for Asmara: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $249 in Asmara and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Asmara vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $240 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

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

Asmara and Chiang Mai differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($1,400 vs $947 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,100 in Asmara and $1,421 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $249 in Asmara versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 589% less than in Asmara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $25.05 in Asmara versus $778 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $1,400 in Asmara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Asmara. 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, Asmara 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 48% less than in Asmara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.