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 $1,594 per month in Azores vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,323 per month in Azores vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,052 per month in Azores vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Azores costs about 84% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Azores sits 19% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.36 €9.78

$1.94 ฿63.5

485.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.39 €39.08

$18.64 ฿609

143.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.04 €7.78

$7.82 ฿255

15.60%

Cappuccino

$2.11 €1.81

$1.95 ฿63.8

8.21%

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

$1.94 €1.67

$0.85 ฿27.77

128.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.21

$0.35 ฿11.58

302.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.13 ฿69.6

11.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 €3.01

$3.73 ฿122

-6.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.71 ฿56.0

-37.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.63 ฿53.2

-5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.14 ฿37.15

42.11%

Eggs

$3.09 €2.66

$1.93 ฿63.1

60.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 €9.93

$16.21 ฿530

-28.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 €6.51

$3.12 ฿102

142.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 €12.05

$10.90 ฿356

28.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.75 ฿90.0

-16.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.21 ฿39.52

21.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.62 ฿53.0

14.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$1.59 ฿51.8

57.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.40 ฿45.70

5.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.17 ฿38.17

64.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.32

$0.66 ฿21.60

131.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.53 ฿17.22

49.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.12 €5.27

$4.69 ฿153

30.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.40 €4.65

$18.66 ฿609

-71.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.80 ฿58.8

-30.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.07

$3.23 ฿106

-25.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.97

$0.90 ฿29.26

154.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.50 €36.59

$19.21 ฿628

121.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 €3.68

$1.41 ฿45.91

203.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.29 ฿42.12

-34.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.59 €15.15

$7.84 ฿256

124.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.27 ฿41.58

49.61%

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

$34.6K €29.8K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

62.81%

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

$40.2K €34.6K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

80.85%

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

$135 €116

$69.1 ฿2,256

95.63%

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

$21.51 €18.51

$14.08 ฿460

52.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.17 €36.30

$18.00 ฿588

134.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.26 €38.10

$41.06 ฿1,341

7.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 €7.35

$5.92 ฿193

44.09%

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

$469 €404

$299 ฿9,766

56.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,216 €7,073

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-45.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 €63.7

$54.7 ฿1,787

35.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.40 €33.06

$26.77 ฿874

43.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 €78.8

$85.0 ฿2,776

7.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.1 €81.0

$70.6 ฿2,306

33.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 €791

$428 ฿14.0K

114.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 €639

$237 ฿7,752

212.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 €1,274

$801 ฿26.2K

84.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 €984

$515 ฿16.8K

121.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,984 €2,569

$1,975 ฿64.5K

51.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,303 €1,982

$1,475 ฿48.2K

56.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $918 in Azores versus $428 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 $45.00 in Azores versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $245 in Azores vs $246 in Chiang Mai – so Azores wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 84%, 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 $2,391 per month in Azores and $1,300 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Azores – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Azores and $19.00 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 $866, than in Azores at $1,594. 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.