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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,733 in Cantù versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,634 in Cantù versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,534 in Cantù versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cantù is roughly 100% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cantù is 29% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.13

$1.94 ฿63.5

806.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 €70.3

$18.64 ฿609

338.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €9.86

$7.82 ฿255

46.55%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.65

$1.95 ฿63.8

-1.54%

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

$2.88 €2.47

$0.85 ฿27.77

238.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$0.35 ฿11.58

288.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 €5.09

$2.13 ฿69.6

177.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €4.84

$3.73 ฿122

50.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.71 ฿56.0

-2.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.63 ฿53.2

-30.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 €3.07

$1.14 ฿37.15

212.28%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.43

$1.93 ฿63.1

106.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.88 €13.66

$16.21 ฿530

-2.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$3.12 ฿102

333.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 €15.67

$10.90 ฿356

67.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.36

$2.75 ฿90.0

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.48

$1.21 ฿39.52

42.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$1.62 ฿53.0

51.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$1.59 ฿51.8

79.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.40 ฿45.70

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.17 ฿38.17

52.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.17

$0.66 ฿21.60

106.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.49

$0.53 ฿17.22

7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.02

$4.69 ฿153

49.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.75 €4.08

$18.66 ฿609

-74.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.80 ฿58.8

16.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.29

$3.23 ฿106

-17.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.46

$0.90 ฿29.26

87.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.95 €36.95

$19.21 ฿628

123.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 €2.94

$1.41 ฿45.91

142.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.29 ฿42.12

56.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.9 €48.90

$7.84 ฿256

625.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.27 ฿41.58

66.14%

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

$28.5K €24.5K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

33.93%

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

$32.6K €28.1K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

46.97%

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

$244 €210

$69.1 ฿2,256

253.12%

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

$15.29 €13.15

$14.08 ฿460

8.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.29 €26.06

$18.00 ฿588

68.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 €46.69

$41.06 ฿1,341

32.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.84 €19.65

$6.96 ฿227

228.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 €10.28

$5.92 ฿193

101.86%

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

$751 €646

$299 ฿9,766

151.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,103 €3,530

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-72.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 €80.3

$54.7 ฿1,787

70.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 €34.89

$26.77 ฿874

51.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.1

$85.0 ฿2,776

27.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €120

$70.6 ฿2,306

97.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 €648

$428 ฿14.0K

75.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 €492

$237 ฿7,752

141.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 €1,052

$801 ฿26.2K

52.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 €809

$515 ฿16.8K

82.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,547 €2,191

$1,975 ฿64.5K

29.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,133 €1,835

$1,475 ฿48.2K

44.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,952 €2,539

$617 ฿20.2K

378.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

-6.40%

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

Last update for Cantù: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Cantù and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cantù pays 378% 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: $82.0 in Cantù vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 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

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

Cantù and Chiang Mai differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($1,733 vs $866 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cantù pays 378% 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: $753 in Cantù versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $751 in Cantù versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Cantù. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,733 in Cantù, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cantù. 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, Cantù 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 100% less than in Cantù. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.