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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,734 in Athienou versus $869 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,748 in Athienou versus $1,362 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Athienou versus $1,855 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Athienou is roughly 100% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athienou is 29% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 €14.89

$1.98 ฿65.0

767.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.3 €50.5

$18.80 ฿619

210.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.73 €7.57

$7.75 ฿255

12.65%

Cappuccino

$3.77 €3.27

$1.92 ฿63.2

96.35%

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

$1.50 €1.30

$0.79 ฿26.07

89.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.85

$0.36 ฿11.74

172.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 €2.99

$2.21 ฿72.9

56.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 €3.87

$3.66 ฿120

22.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.65 ฿54.4

4.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.63 ฿53.7

4.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.10

$1.19 ฿39.28

103.36%

Eggs

$3.63 €3.15

$2.00 ฿65.8

81.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.33 €13.28

$15.98 ฿526

-4.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 €7.78

$3.03 ฿99.6

196.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.59 €11.78

$10.86 ฿357

25.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 €2.42

$2.76 ฿90.9

1.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 €1.63

$1.18 ฿38.83

59.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 €1.65

$1.64 ฿54.0

15.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 €2.27

$1.52 ฿50.0

72.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.38 ฿45.59

-0.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.19 ฿39.25

-4.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 €0.59

$0.70 ฿23.11

-2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.56 ฿18.32

46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.81 €5.03

$4.58 ฿151

26.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.16 €7.07

$16.56 ฿545

-50.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.47

$1.83 ฿60.2

-7.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.04

$3.20 ฿105

-26.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.99

$0.88 ฿28.87

160.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.5 €45.53

$18.72 ฿616

180.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 €6.46

$1.36 ฿44.64

447.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.34 ฿44.12

48.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.07 €18.26

$7.84 ฿258

168.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.23 ฿40.35

34.96%

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

$26.2K €22.7K

$21.6K ฿711.8K

21.10%

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

$32.6K €28.3K

$22.5K ฿742.2K

44.72%

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

$188 €163

$70.5 ฿2,322

166.86%

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

$22.43 €19.44

$13.68 ฿450

63.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.29 €29.72

$17.45 ฿574

96.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.5 €61.1

$41.33 ฿1,361

70.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.89 €25.90

$6.96 ฿229

329.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 €10.05

$5.77 ฿190

101.04%

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

$435 €377

$307 ฿10.1K

41.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,843 €6,797

$14.6K ฿481.0K

-46.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 €64.4

$55.8 ฿1,837

33.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.95 €28.56

$26.21 ฿863

25.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 €77.7

$85.8 ฿2,823

4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €92.3

$72.2 ฿2,378

47.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 €681

$430 ฿14.1K

82.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 €575

$239 ฿7,857

177.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,531 €1,327

$817 ฿26.9K

87.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 €1,153

$511 ฿16.8K

160.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,887 €3,369

$1,983 ฿65.3K

96.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,462 €2,134

$1,484 ฿48.9K

65.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,757 €1,523

$619 ฿20.4K

183.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.74

-25.20%

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

Last update for Athienou: June 6, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Athienou and $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athienou pays 184% 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: $58.0 in Athienou vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 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

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

Athienou and Chiang Mai differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($1,734 vs $869 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Athienou pays 184% more on average, 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: $786 in Athienou versus $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,734 per month in Athienou versus $869 in Chiang Mai – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 181% less than in Athienou. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $1,734 in Athienou, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Athienou. 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, Athienou 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 100% less than in Athienou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.