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: $1,811 in Carrefour versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,726 in Carrefour versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,642 in Carrefour versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Carrefour is roughly 109% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 HTG 1,926

$1.94 ฿63.5

660.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 HTG 11.5K

$18.64 ฿609

374.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.93 HTG 905

$7.82 ฿255

-11.38%

Cappuccino

$1.67 HTG 218

$1.95 ฿63.8

-14.36%

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

$1.53 HTG 199

$0.85 ฿27.77

80.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 HTG 193

$0.35 ฿11.58

322.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 HTG 655

$2.13 ฿69.6

135.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 HTG 916

$3.73 ฿122

87.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 HTG 201

$1.71 ฿56.0

-9.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 HTG 306

$1.63 ฿53.2

44.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 HTG 406

$1.14 ฿37.15

172.81%

Eggs

$2.71 HTG 354

$1.93 ฿63.1

40.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 HTG 979

$16.21 ฿530

-53.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 HTG 800

$3.12 ฿102

96.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 HTG 1,566

$10.90 ฿356

10.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 HTG 245

$2.75 ฿90.0

-31.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 HTG 319

$1.21 ฿39.52

101.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 HTG 115

$1.62 ฿53.0

-45.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 HTG 305

$1.59 ฿51.8

47.17%

Potato (1kg)

$6.09 HTG 796

$1.40 ฿45.70

335.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 HTG 133

$1.17 ฿38.17

-12.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 HTG 84.4

$0.66 ฿21.60

-1.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 HTG 129

$0.53 ฿17.22

86.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 HTG 521

$4.69 ฿153

-14.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.57 HTG 1,511

$18.66 ฿609

-38.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 HTG 116

$1.80 ฿58.8

-50.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 HTG 195

$3.23 ฿106

-53.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 HTG 24.83

$0.90 ฿29.26

-78.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.66 HTG 2,568

$19.21 ฿628

2.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 HTG 51.5

$1.41 ฿45.91

-72.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 HTG 50.5

$1.29 ฿42.12

-69.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.06 HTG 2,620

$7.84 ฿256

155.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 HTG 167

$1.27 ฿41.58

0.79%

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

$40.1K HTG 5.2M

$21.3K ฿694.9K

88.54%

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

$44.4K HTG 5.8M

$22.2K ฿725.4K

100.08%

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

$98.6 HTG 12.9K

$69.1 ฿2,256

42.71%

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

$50.1 HTG 6,540

$14.08 ฿460

255.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$163 HTG 21.3K

$18.00 ฿588

807.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.4 HTG 9,197

$41.06 ฿1,341

71.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 HTG 2,625

$6.96 ฿227

188.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 HTG 1,298

$5.92 ฿193

67.91%

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

$99.8 HTG 13.0K

$299 ฿9,766

-66.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,092 HTG 926.1K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-52.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.0 HTG 10.3K

$54.7 ฿1,787

44.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.1 HTG 9,939

$26.77 ฿874

184.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 HTG 16.0K

$85.0 ฿2,776

43.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 HTG 19.4K

$70.6 ฿2,306

110.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 HTG 114.4K

$428 ฿14.0K

104.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 HTG 95.5K

$237 ฿7,752

208.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 HTG 164.6K

$801 ฿26.2K

57.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 HTG 141.8K

$515 ฿16.8K

110.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$746 HTG 97.5K

$1,975 ฿64.5K

-62.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$589 HTG 76.9K

$1,475 ฿48.2K

-60.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,397 HTG 182.5K

$617 ฿20.2K

126.31%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $876 in Carrefour and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carrefour pays 126% 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: $88.0 in Carrefour vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $256 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

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

Carrefour and Chiang Mai differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($1,811 vs $866 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Carrefour pays 126% 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: $876 in Carrefour versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $99.8 in Carrefour 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 4% higher in Carrefour. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,811 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 109% less than in Carrefour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.