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: $1,757 in Athienou versus $845 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Athienou versus $1,323 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,715 in Athienou versus $1,802 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Athienou is roughly 108% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athienou is 31% above, Chiang Mai is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.54

$1.95 ฿62.8

774.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.2 €49.61

$18.43 ฿594

215.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.91 €7.60

$7.50 ฿241

18.80%

Cappuccino

$3.62 €3.09

$1.93 ฿62.3

87.56%

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

$1.50 €1.28

$0.78 ฿25.08

92.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.83

$0.32 ฿10.42

206.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 €3.01

$2.15 ฿69.2

64.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 €3.61

$3.71 ฿120

14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.43

$1.71 ฿55.2

-1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.56 ฿50.3

9.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.06

$1.18 ฿38.06

105.08%

Eggs

$3.75 €3.20

$1.98 ฿63.9

89.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.19 €12.96

$16.04 ฿517

-5.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.71 €7.43

$3.17 ฿102

174.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.35 €11.39

$10.94 ฿353

22.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.42

$2.63 ฿84.7

7.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 €1.55

$1.17 ฿37.61

55.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$1.65 ฿53.0

15.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 €2.23

$1.54 ฿49.51

70.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 €1.12

$1.38 ฿44.34

-4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €0.96

$1.17 ฿37.54

-3.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 €0.55

$0.66 ฿21.25

-3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.76

$0.51 ฿16.55

74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.93 €5.06

$4.52 ฿146

31.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.38 €7.15

$18.32 ฿590

-54.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.45

$1.80 ฿57.9

-5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.97

$3.18 ฿102

-27.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.00

$0.90 ฿28.97

160.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.9 €44.30

$19.00 ฿612

173.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.39 €6.30

$1.41 ฿45.50

424.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 €1.73

$1.31 ฿42.15

54.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.35 €18.21

$8.09 ฿261

163.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.40

$1.28 ฿41.08

28.12%

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

$25.7K €21.9K

$21.3K ฿686.1K

20.73%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$21.7K ฿699.3K

53.46%

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

$191 €163

$69.2 ฿2,230

175.65%

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

$22.25 €18.98

$13.97 ฿450

59.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.76 €28.80

$17.95 ฿578

88.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 €61.1

$42.31 ฿1,363

69.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.73 €25.36

$6.66 ฿214

346.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 €9.93

$5.92 ฿191

96.62%

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

$443 €378

$299 ฿9,640

47.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,806 €6,659

$14.8K ฿478.4K

-47.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.2 €65.0

$56.2 ฿1,810

35.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.36 €27.60

$26.94 ฿868

20.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 €76.5

$84.9 ฿2,735

5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €90.1

$71.8 ฿2,314

46.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$774 €660

$435 ฿14.0K

77.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €564

$240 ฿7,727

175.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,298

$798 ฿25.7K

90.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 €1,126

$498 ฿16.1K

164.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 €3,551

$1,995 ฿64.3K

108.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,509 €2,140

$1,532 ฿49.4K

63.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,812 €1,545

$628 ฿20.2K

188.41%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $774 in Athienou and $435 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athienou pays 188% 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 in Athienou vs $18 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $244 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 108% in total monthly costs ($1,757 vs $845 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Athienou pays 188% 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: $774 in Athienou versus $435 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,757 per month in Athienou versus $845 in Chiang Mai – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 173% less than in Athienou. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $845 in Chiang Mai versus $1,757 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 108% less than in Athienou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.