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: $1,743 in Athienou versus $847 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,758 in Athienou versus $1,332 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,774 in Athienou versus $1,816 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Athienou is roughly 106% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athienou is 30% above, Chiang Mai is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.23

$2.03 ฿68.4

753.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 €51.1

$18.71 ฿630

210.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.75 €7.69

$7.84 ฿264

11.61%

Cappuccino

$3.76 €3.30

$1.93 ฿64.9

94.82%

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

$1.49 €1.31

$0.83 ฿28.00

79.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.81

$0.35 ฿11.80

162.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.97

$2.22 ฿74.8

52.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 €3.71

$3.79 ฿128

11.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.52

$1.65 ฿55.4

4.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.51

$1.55 ฿52.3

10.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.13

$1.18 ฿39.79

105.08%

Eggs

$3.78 €3.32

$2.01 ฿67.9

88.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.79 €13.00

$16.16 ฿544

-8.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 €7.95

$3.03 ฿102

198.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 €11.73

$10.84 ฿365

23.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.36

$2.68 ฿90.3

0.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.64

$1.22 ฿41.14

53.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.63

$1.63 ฿54.8

13.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.30

$1.53 ฿51.5

70.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.34 ฿45.10

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.03

$1.21 ฿40.86

-3.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 €0.60

$0.70 ฿23.63

-1.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.72

$0.53 ฿17.70

54.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 €5.16

$4.69 ฿158

25.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 €7.20

$17.71 ฿597

-53.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.54

$1.85 ฿62.2

-5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.07

$3.21 ฿108

-26.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €1.97

$0.89 ฿30.01

151.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.5 €45.28

$18.76 ฿632

174.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.73 €6.79

$1.41 ฿47.40

448.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 €1.78

$1.29 ฿43.52

56.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.13 €18.58

$7.79 ฿262

171.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.44

$1.29 ฿43.59

27.13%

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

$25.9K €22.8K

$21.8K ฿733.4K

19.12%

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

$32.5K €28.6K

$21.7K ฿730.7K

49.89%

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

$188 €165

$70.0 ฿2,358

168.82%

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

$22.47 €19.75

$14.19 ฿478

58.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.83 €29.74

$17.42 ฿587

94.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.2 €61.7

$41.64 ฿1,403

68.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.80 €26.20

$6.89 ฿232

332.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.53 €10.13

$5.78 ฿195

99.48%

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

$447 €393

$300 ฿10.1K

49.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,891 €6,937

$14.5K ฿489.2K

-45.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 €65.3

$55.4 ฿1,865

34.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 €28.50

$26.31 ฿886

23.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 €80.6

$84.8 ฿2,858

8.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €95.4

$70.5 ฿2,375

53.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 €683

$425 ฿14.3K

82.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 €580

$235 ฿7,919

180.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,339

$802 ฿27.0K

89.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 €1,155

$516 ฿17.4K

154.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,582 €3,149

$1,926 ฿64.9K

85.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,084 €1,832

$1,451 ฿48.9K

43.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 €1,498

$586 ฿19.8K

190.59%

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: July 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $777 in Athienou and $425 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athienou pays 191% 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 $283 vs $242 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 106% in total monthly costs ($1,743 vs $847 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 191% higher in Athienou, 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: $777 in Athienou versus $425 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,743 per month in Athienou versus $847 in Chiang Mai – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 175% less than in Athienou. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $847 in Chiang Mai versus $1,743 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 106% less than in Athienou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.