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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Azores vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,368 per month in Azores vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,097 per month in Azores vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Azores costs about 90% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Azores sits 23% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.54 €10.11

$1.96 ฿65.8

488.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.05 €40.33

$18.35 ฿617

150.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 €7.93

$7.48 ฿252

20.99%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.90

$2.02 ฿67.8

7.43%

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

$1.86 €1.63

$0.85 ฿28.50

118.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.24

$0.36 ฿11.96

294.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 €2.01

$2.14 ฿71.8

7.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €2.99

$3.59 ฿121

-5.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 €0.93

$1.65 ฿55.5

-35.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.57 ฿52.7

-1.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 €1.43

$1.19 ฿40.02

36.97%

Eggs

$3.09 €2.70

$1.94 ฿65.1

59.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.43 €10.01

$16.19 ฿544

-29.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.65 €6.70

$2.99 ฿101

155.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.11 €12.36

$10.94 ฿368

28.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.71 ฿91.2

-15.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.17 ฿39.25

22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.69 ฿56.7

5.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.26

$1.60 ฿54.0

61.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 €1.29

$1.38 ฿46.54

6.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.70

$1.20 ฿40.45

61.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.40

$0.67 ฿22.50

138.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.74

$0.56 ฿18.73

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 €5.17

$4.64 ฿156

27.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.13 €4.49

$17.62 ฿593

-70.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.86 ฿62.5

-32.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.08

$3.30 ฿111

-28.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.05

$0.88 ฿29.68

165.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.31 €37.06

$19.34 ฿650

118.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 €3.59

$1.36 ฿45.90

201.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.34 ฿44.98

-36.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.02 €14.90

$8.21 ฿276

107.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.74

$1.22 ฿41.18

63.11%

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

$35.1K €30.7K

$21.4K ฿718.1K

64.37%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$22.5K ฿757.7K

72.93%

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

$136 €119

$70.7 ฿2,376

92.70%

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

$21.35 €18.70

$14.04 ฿472

52.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.56 €37.28

$17.49 ฿588

143.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.60 €39.06

$42.15 ฿1,417

5.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$8.63 €7.56

$5.92 ฿199

45.78%

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

$468 €410

$309 ฿10.4K

51.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,231 €7,208

$14.9K ฿500.4K

-44.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 €64.7

$55.8 ฿1,875

32.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.88 €33.18

$26.11 ฿878

45.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 €79.7

$83.0 ฿2,792

9.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.3 €80.9

$70.5 ฿2,369

31.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 €797

$432 ฿14.5K

110.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 €647

$239 ฿8,035

209.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,303

$822 ฿27.7K

80.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €1,006

$512 ฿17.2K

124.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,013 €2,639

$1,915 ฿64.4K

57.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,294 €2,009

$1,467 ฿49.3K

56.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

0.20%

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

Last update for Azores: July 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $910 in Azores versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Azores versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Azores is pricier by about 90%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,458 per month in Azores and $1,292 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Azores, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Azores and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $861, than in Azores at $1,639. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Azores it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Azores makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.