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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,610 in Caen versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,575 in Caen versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,539 in Caen versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Caen is roughly 86% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Caen is 20% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.07 €12.96

$1.94 ฿63.5

676.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 €49.75

$18.64 ฿609

210.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.37 €9.78

$7.82 ฿255

45.40%

Cappuccino

$2.68 €2.30

$1.95 ฿63.8

37.44%

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

$3.65 €3.14

$0.85 ฿27.77

329.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.35 ฿11.58

308.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.15 €7.01

$2.13 ฿69.6

282.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 €5.63

$3.73 ฿122

75.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.71 ฿56.0

-28.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.63 ฿53.2

-17.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$1.14 ฿37.15

100.00%

Eggs

$3.40 €2.92

$1.93 ฿63.1

76.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.43 €8.97

$16.21 ฿530

-35.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 €9.75

$3.12 ฿102

263.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.01 €17.21

$10.90 ฿356

83.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.75 ฿90.0

-17.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.21 ฿39.52

70.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.62 ฿53.0

44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.59 ฿51.8

52.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.40 ฿45.70

32.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 €1.94

$1.17 ฿38.17

93.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.16

$0.66 ฿21.60

104.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.53 ฿17.22

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 €10.96

$4.69 ฿153

171.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.66

$18.66 ฿609

-64.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.80 ฿58.8

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.34

$3.23 ฿106

-51.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.90 ฿29.26

103.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 €43.10

$19.21 ฿628

160.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 €2.54

$1.41 ฿45.91

109.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 €1.55

$1.29 ฿42.12

40.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.44 €31.34

$7.84 ฿256

364.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.27 ฿41.58

62.99%

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

$26.4K €22.7K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

24.10%

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

$34.6K €29.8K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

55.80%

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

$172 €148

$69.1 ฿2,256

149.34%

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

$23.41 €20.14

$14.08 ฿460

66.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.48 €23.63

$18.00 ฿588

52.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.20 €26.84

$41.06 ฿1,341

-24.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 €17.58

$6.96 ฿227

193.53%

Cinema Ticket

$15.57 €13.39

$5.92 ฿193

163.01%

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

$171 €147

$299 ฿9,766

-42.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,661 €7,450

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-42.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €95.3

$54.7 ฿1,787

102.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.42 €31.33

$26.77 ฿874

36.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 €77.5

$85.0 ฿2,776

5.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €125

$70.6 ฿2,306

105.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$651 €560

$428 ฿14.0K

51.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 €478

$237 ฿7,752

134.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 €1,183

$801 ฿26.2K

71.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 €908

$515 ฿16.8K

104.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,640 €3,991

$1,975 ฿64.5K

134.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,601 €2,237

$1,475 ฿48.2K

76.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,582 €2,221

$617 ฿20.2K

318.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

-27.60%

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

Last update for Caen: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $651 in Caen and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caen pays 318% 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 Caen vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $246 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

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

Caen and Chiang Mai differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,610 vs $866 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Caen pays 318% 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: $651 in Caen versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 161% less than in Caen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $171 in Caen versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,610 in Caen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Caen. 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, Caen 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 86% less than in Caen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.