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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $828 in Assis versus $950 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,284 in Assis versus $1,430 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,739 in Assis versus $1,909 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Assis costs roughly 13% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Assis 40% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.81 R$29.81

$2.10 ฿69.3

176.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.06 R$118

$19.84 ฿656

16.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 R$29.99

$5.79 ฿191

1.04%

Cappuccino

$1.96 R$10.02

$1.83 ฿60.4

7.10%

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

$1.19 R$6.10

$0.78 ฿25.61

52.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.70

$0.31 ฿10.37

132.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 R$8.05

$2.34 ฿77.2

-32.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 R$10.09

$3.70 ฿122

-46.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.58

$2.03 ฿67.1

-46.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 R$7.02

$1.60 ฿52.7

-14.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.31

$1.42 ฿46.75

0.70%

Eggs

$1.53 R$7.84

$2.18 ฿71.9

-29.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.14 R$36.59

$15.91 ฿526

-55.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 R$19.94

$3.07 ฿102

26.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.10 R$41.52

$9.87 ฿326

-17.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.26

$2.63 ฿86.8

-31.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.09

$1.10 ฿36.19

8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 R$3.84

$1.63 ฿53.8

-53.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.03

$1.53 ฿50.6

-10.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.72

$1.24 ฿41.13

-9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 R$5.03

$1.13 ฿37.37

-13.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 R$4.55

$0.74 ฿24.38

20.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$4.75

$0.50 ฿16.48

86.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 R$11.52

$4.28 ฿141

-47.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 R$30.16

$17.97 ฿594

-67.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R$7.13

$1.70 ฿56.1

-18.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 R$14.75

$2.90 ฿95.7

-0.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.15

$0.94 ฿31.13

6.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.89 R$215

$55.3 ฿1,827

-24.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 R$11.76

$1.23 ฿40.76

86.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R$3.88

$0.53 ฿17.66

43.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 R$13.91

$2.40 ฿79.3

12.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.10

$1.44 ฿47.55

-17.36%

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

$34.8K R$178.2K

$21.2K ฿700.2K

64.07%

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

$31.9K R$163.4K

$27.3K ฿902.1K

16.74%

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

$82.0 R$420

$64.9 ฿2,145

26.24%

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

$10.54 R$54.0

$13.35 ฿441

-21.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.99 R$113

$20.83 ฿688

5.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.68 R$127

$40.42 ฿1,336

-38.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 R$136

$3.95 ฿131

571.90%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 R$29.62

$6.71 ฿222

-13.86%

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

$294 R$1,509

$787 ฿26.0K

-62.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,299 R$37.4K

$15.1K ฿499.6K

-51.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.77 R$209

$56.2 ฿1,858

-27.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 R$288

$24.95 ฿824

124.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 R$428

$92.7 ฿3,063

-9.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.1 R$293

$75.1 ฿2,482

-24.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$345 R$1,768

$484 ฿16.0K

-28.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 R$1,210

$287 ฿9,491

-17.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 R$3,310

$910 ฿30.1K

-29.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 R$2,326

$531 ฿17.5K

-14.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,599 R$8,198

$1,980 ฿65.4K

-19.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 R$5,825

$1,451 ฿47.9K

-21.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$582 R$2,981

$605 ฿20.0K

-3.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

5.57

88.51%

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

Last update for Assis: September 7, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $345 in Assis and $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 4% 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: $23.00 in Assis vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $172 vs $242, with Assis cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Assis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Chiang Mai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $345 in Assis versus $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Assis runs roughly 32% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $294 in Assis versus $787 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $828 in Assis versus $950 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Assis but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Assis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Assis is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Assis 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 Assis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.