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: $1,472 in Asmara versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,178 in Asmara versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,884 in Asmara versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Asmara is roughly 71% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Asmara is 10% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 ERN 188

$1.96 ฿65.8

537.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.48 ERN 443

$18.35 ฿617

60.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 ERN 88.0

$7.48 ฿252

-21.66%

Cappuccino

$0.80 ERN 12.03

$2.02 ฿67.8

-60.40%

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

$1.88 ERN 28.22

$0.85 ฿28.50

121.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ERN 20.18

$0.36 ฿11.96

272.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ERN 15.41

$2.14 ฿71.8

-51.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ERN 29.89

$3.59 ฿121

-44.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ERN 24.95

$1.65 ฿55.5

0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 ERN 7.23

$1.57 ฿52.7

-69.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 ERN 29.60

$1.19 ฿40.02

65.55%

Eggs

$4.47 ERN 67.2

$1.94 ฿65.1

130.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.06 ERN 46.03

$16.19 ฿544

-81.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.59 ERN 400

$2.99 ฿101

789.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.04 ERN 151

$10.94 ฿368

-8.23%

Apples (1kg)

$12.00 ERN 180

$2.71 ฿91.2

342.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ERN 18.83

$1.17 ฿39.25

6.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ERN 29.19

$1.69 ฿56.7

14.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ERN 18.81

$1.60 ฿54.0

-21.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ERN 26.22

$1.38 ฿46.54

26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ERN 16.46

$1.20 ฿40.45

-8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ERN 9.91

$0.67 ฿22.50

-1.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 ERN 32.98

$0.56 ฿18.73

291.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 ERN 30.28

$4.64 ฿156

-56.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.69 ERN 341

$17.62 ฿593

28.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ERN 15.26

$1.86 ฿62.5

-45.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 ERN 18.09

$3.30 ฿111

-63.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ERN 2.10

$0.88 ฿29.68

-84.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.78 ERN 117

$19.34 ฿650

-59.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ERN 10.39

$1.36 ฿45.90

-49.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ERN 9.75

$1.34 ฿44.98

-51.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 ERN 122

$8.21 ฿276

-1.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 ERN 32.93

$1.22 ฿41.18

79.51%

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

$65.5K ERN 984.5K

$21.4K ฿718.1K

206.74%

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

$70.5K ERN 1.1M

$22.5K ฿757.7K

212.88%

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

$27.41 ERN 412

$70.7 ฿2,376

-61.21%

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

$67.3 ERN 1,012

$14.04 ฿472

379.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$196 ERN 2,953

$17.49 ฿588

1023.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.92 ERN 405

$42.15 ฿1,417

-36.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.69 ERN 116

$6.88 ฿231

11.77%

Cinema Ticket

$1.07 ERN 16.06

$5.92 ฿199

-81.93%

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

$24.81 ERN 373

$309 ฿10.4K

-91.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,664 ERN 25.0K

$14.9K ฿500.4K

-88.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 ERN 1,255

$55.8 ฿1,875

49.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.8 ERN 1,139

$26.11 ฿878

190.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$197 ERN 2,956

$83.0 ฿2,792

136.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.1 ERN 1,414

$70.5 ฿2,369

33.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 ERN 7,156

$432 ฿14.5K

10.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 ERN 5,980

$239 ฿8,035

66.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ERN 11.0K

$822 ฿27.7K

-11.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 ERN 9,729

$512 ฿17.2K

26.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,230 ERN 33.5K

$1,915 ฿64.4K

16.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,233 ERN 33.6K

$1,467 ฿49.3K

52.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 ERN 15.0K

$579 ฿19.5K

72.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

140.00%

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

Last update for Asmara: July 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Asmara and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Asmara pays 72% 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: $29.00 in Asmara vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 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

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

Asmara and Chiang Mai differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $861 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 72% higher in Asmara, 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: $476 in Asmara versus $432 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 149% less than in Asmara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $24.81 in Asmara versus $309 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,472 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 71% less than in Asmara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.