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: $1,629 in Caen versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,546 in Caen versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,464 in Caen versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Caen is roughly 89% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Caen is 22% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.83 €12.96

$1.96 ฿65.7

656.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 €50.4

$18.35 ฿616

214.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 €10.01

$7.48 ฿251

53.07%

Cappuccino

$2.64 €2.31

$2.02 ฿67.7

30.69%

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

$3.74 €3.27

$0.85 ฿28.45

340.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$0.36 ฿11.94

297.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 €7.03

$2.14 ฿71.7

276.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 €5.59

$3.59 ฿121

78.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.02

$1.65 ฿55.4

-29.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.57 ฿52.6

-11.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 €1.99

$1.19 ฿39.95

90.76%

Eggs

$3.38 €2.96

$1.94 ฿65.0

74.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 €9.18

$16.19 ฿544

-35.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 €9.97

$2.99 ฿100

281.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.64

$10.94 ฿367

84.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.71 ฿91.0

-12.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.17 ฿39.18

71.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €2.04

$1.69 ฿56.6

38.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.11

$1.60 ฿53.9

51.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.65

$1.38 ฿46.45

36.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.96

$1.20 ฿40.38

86.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.15

$0.67 ฿22.46

95.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.53

$0.56 ฿18.70

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.72 €11.11

$4.64 ฿156

174.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 €5.39

$17.62 ฿591

-64.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.86 ฿62.4

28.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.40

$3.30 ฿111

-51.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 €1.59

$0.88 ฿29.63

106.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.4 €44.00

$19.34 ฿649

160.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 €2.58

$1.36 ฿45.82

116.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.34 ฿44.90

37.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.81 €33.04

$8.21 ฿276

360.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.22 ฿41.11

69.67%

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

$26.3K €23.0K

$21.4K ฿716.8K

23.40%

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

$35.5K €31.0K

$22.5K ฿756.3K

57.56%

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

$173 €151

$70.7 ฿2,372

145.03%

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

$23.06 €20.15

$14.04 ฿471

64.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.23 €23.79

$17.49 ฿587

55.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 €28.21

$42.15 ฿1,415

-23.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 €17.66

$6.88 ฿231

193.75%

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 €13.35

$5.92 ฿199

158.11%

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

$173 €151

$309 ฿10.4K

-44.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,779 €7,670

$14.9K ฿499.5K

-40.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €97.1

$55.8 ฿1,872

99.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 €31.09

$26.11 ฿877

36.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 €78.6

$83.0 ฿2,787

8.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €128

$70.5 ฿2,365

107.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 €571

$432 ฿14.5K

51.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 €488

$239 ฿8,020

133.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 €1,225

$822 ฿27.6K

70.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 €913

$512 ฿17.2K

104.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,593 €4,012

$1,915 ฿64.3K

139.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,551 €2,229

$1,467 ฿49.3K

73.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,447 €2,138

$579 ฿19.4K

322.31%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $653 in Caen and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caen pays 322% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $243 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 89% in total monthly costs ($1,629 vs $861 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 322% higher in Caen, 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: $653 in Caen versus $432 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 160% less than in Caen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $173 in Caen versus $309 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,629 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 89% less than in Caen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.