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: $1,483 in Asmara versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,175 in Asmara versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,866 in Asmara versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Asmara is 11% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.52 ERN 188

$1.94 ฿63.5

545.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.40 ERN 457

$18.64 ฿609

63.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.14 ERN 92.3

$7.82 ฿255

-21.48%

Cappuccino

$0.74 ERN 11.10

$1.95 ฿63.8

-62.05%

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

$1.88 ERN 28.26

$0.85 ฿27.77

121.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ERN 20.45

$0.35 ฿11.58

288.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ERN 15.32

$2.13 ฿69.6

-52.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ERN 30.67

$3.73 ฿122

-45.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ERN 23.95

$1.71 ฿56.0

-7.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ERN 7.36

$1.63 ฿53.2

-69.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 ERN 29.13

$1.14 ฿37.15

70.18%

Eggs

$4.44 ERN 66.8

$1.93 ฿63.1

130.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.05 ERN 45.80

$16.21 ฿530

-81.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.68 ERN 401

$3.12 ฿102

755.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 ERN 152

$10.90 ฿356

-7.43%

Apples (1kg)

$12.27 ERN 184

$2.75 ฿90.0

346.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ERN 18.79

$1.21 ฿39.52

3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 ERN 28.63

$1.62 ฿53.0

17.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 ERN 17.79

$1.59 ฿51.8

-25.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 ERN 26.68

$1.40 ฿45.70

27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ERN 15.86

$1.17 ฿38.17

-9.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ERN 9.78

$0.66 ฿21.60

-1.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 ERN 32.83

$0.53 ฿17.22

311.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 ERN 29.55

$4.69 ฿153

-58.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 ERN 180

$18.66 ฿609

-35.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ERN 15.19

$1.80 ฿58.8

-43.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 ERN 17.87

$3.23 ฿106

-63.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ERN 2.11

$0.90 ฿29.26

-84.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.04 ERN 121

$19.21 ฿628

-58.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ERN 10.23

$1.41 ฿45.91

-51.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ERN 9.23

$1.29 ฿42.12

-52.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 ERN 124

$7.84 ฿256

5.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 ERN 32.83

$1.27 ฿41.58

71.65%

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

$65.8K ERN 988.7K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

209.17%

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

$69.2K ERN 1.0M

$22.2K ฿725.4K

211.40%

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

$27.01 ERN 406

$69.1 ฿2,256

-60.89%

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

$67.8 ERN 1,019

$14.08 ฿460

381.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$201 ERN 3,018

$18.00 ฿588

1015.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.53 ERN 414

$41.06 ฿1,341

-32.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.68 ERN 115

$6.96 ฿227

10.34%

Cinema Ticket

$1.13 ERN 17.00

$5.92 ฿193

-80.91%

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

$25.33 ERN 381

$299 ฿9,766

-91.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,678 ERN 25.2K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-88.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.0 ERN 1,217

$54.7 ฿1,787

48.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.2 ERN 1,115

$26.77 ฿874

177.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$197 ERN 2,962

$85.0 ฿2,776

131.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 ERN 1,425

$70.6 ฿2,306

34.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 ERN 7,017

$428 ฿14.0K

9.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 ERN 6,083

$237 ฿7,752

70.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ERN 11.1K

$801 ฿26.2K

-8.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ERN 9,908

$515 ฿16.8K

27.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,247 ERN 18.7K

$1,975 ฿64.5K

-36.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,483 ERN 37.3K

$1,475 ฿48.2K

68.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $467 in Asmara and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Asmara vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $246 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 ($1,483 vs $866 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Asmara and $1,300 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: $467 in Asmara versus $428 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 139% less than in Asmara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $25.33 in Asmara versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,483 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.