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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,828 in Carrefour versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,675 in Carrefour versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,523 in Carrefour versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Carrefour is roughly 112% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carrefour is 37% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.81 HTG 1,928

$1.96 ฿65.7

655.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.3 HTG 11.6K

$18.35 ฿616

386.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 HTG 933

$7.48 ฿251

-4.14%

Cappuccino

$1.63 HTG 213

$2.02 ฿67.7

-19.31%

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

$1.57 HTG 204

$0.85 ฿28.45

84.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 HTG 194

$0.36 ฿11.94

313.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 HTG 657

$2.14 ฿71.7

135.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 HTG 921

$3.59 ฿121

97.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 HTG 195

$1.65 ฿55.4

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 HTG 306

$1.57 ฿52.6

49.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 HTG 409

$1.19 ฿39.95

163.87%

Eggs

$2.73 HTG 355

$1.94 ฿65.0

40.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 HTG 1,014

$16.19 ฿544

-51.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.97 HTG 777

$2.99 ฿100

99.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.71 HTG 1,524

$10.94 ฿367

7.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 HTG 242

$2.71 ฿91.0

-31.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 HTG 321

$1.17 ฿39.18

111.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 HTG 122

$1.69 ฿56.6

-44.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 HTG 307

$1.60 ฿53.9

47.50%

Potato (1kg)

$6.22 HTG 810

$1.38 ฿46.45

350.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 HTG 127

$1.20 ฿40.38

-19.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 HTG 84.1

$0.67 ฿22.46

-2.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 HTG 133

$0.56 ฿18.70

82.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 HTG 524

$4.64 ฿156

-13.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.63 HTG 1,514

$17.62 ฿591

-34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 HTG 113

$1.86 ฿62.4

-53.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 HTG 196

$3.30 ฿111

-54.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 HTG 27.59

$0.88 ฿29.63

-76.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.74 HTG 2,570

$19.34 ฿649

2.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.36 HTG 47.08

$1.36 ฿45.82

-73.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 HTG 54.3

$1.34 ฿44.90

-68.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.68 HTG 2,562

$8.21 ฿276

139.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 HTG 161

$1.22 ฿41.11

0.82%

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

$40.7K HTG 5.3M

$21.4K ฿716.8K

90.62%

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

$45.0K HTG 5.9M

$22.5K ฿756.3K

99.64%

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

$99.5 HTG 13.0K

$70.7 ฿2,372

40.85%

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

$49.62 HTG 6,461

$14.04 ฿471

253.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$167 HTG 21.7K

$17.49 ฿587

853.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.3 HTG 9,284

$42.15 ฿1,415

69.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.17 HTG 2,626

$6.88 ฿231

193.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 HTG 1,323

$5.92 ฿199

71.62%

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

$98.4 HTG 12.8K

$309 ฿10.4K

-68.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,896 HTG 897.9K

$14.9K ฿499.5K

-53.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.9 HTG 10.4K

$55.8 ฿1,872

43.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.8 HTG 9,873

$26.11 ฿877

190.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 HTG 15.6K

$83.0 ฿2,787

44.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 HTG 19.4K

$70.5 ฿2,365

111.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 HTG 113.0K

$432 ฿14.5K

100.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 HTG 93.0K

$239 ฿8,020

198.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 HTG 168.7K

$822 ฿27.6K

57.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 HTG 141.5K

$512 ฿17.2K

112.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$775 HTG 100.9K

$1,915 ฿64.3K

-59.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$610 HTG 79.4K

$1,467 ฿49.3K

-58.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,409 HTG 183.5K

$579 ฿19.4K

143.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

200.00%

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

Last update for Carrefour: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $868 in Carrefour and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carrefour pays 143% 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: $89.0 in Carrefour vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $256 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

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

Carrefour and Chiang Mai differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($1,828 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 143% higher in Carrefour, 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: $868 in Carrefour versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $98.4 in Carrefour versus $309 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Carrefour. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,828 in Carrefour, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Carrefour. 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, Carrefour 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 112% less than in Carrefour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.