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: $1,806 in Carrefour versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,698 in Carrefour versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,589 in Carrefour versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Carrefour is roughly 91% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carrefour is 31% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.13 HTG 1,973

$2.08 ฿68.5

627.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.3 HTG 11.9K

$19.64 ฿646

364.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 HTG 932

$5.65 ฿186

26.55%

Cappuccino

$1.64 HTG 214

$1.81 ฿59.3

-9.39%

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

$1.56 HTG 204

$0.71 ฿23.44

119.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 HTG 199

$0.32 ฿10.38

378.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 HTG 666

$2.24 ฿73.5

128.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 HTG 939

$3.63 ฿119

98.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 HTG 194

$1.96 ฿64.4

-23.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 HTG 296

$1.50 ฿49.38

51.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 HTG 389

$1.34 ฿43.92

123.13%

Eggs

$2.74 HTG 357

$2.26 ฿74.4

21.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 HTG 1,016

$16.26 ฿534

-52.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 HTG 777

$2.95 ฿97.1

102.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 HTG 1,564

$9.94 ฿327

20.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 HTG 247

$2.57 ฿84.5

-26.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 HTG 323

$1.06 ฿34.72

133.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 HTG 116

$1.61 ฿53.0

-44.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 HTG 295

$1.52 ฿49.96

48.68%

Potato (1kg)

$6.09 HTG 794

$1.27 ฿41.76

379.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 HTG 133

$1.07 ฿35.05

-4.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 HTG 85.9

$0.72 ฿23.67

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 HTG 128

$0.51 ฿16.72

92.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 HTG 519

$4.19 ฿138

-5.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.59 HTG 1,511

$17.87 ฿587

-35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 HTG 116

$1.69 ฿55.7

-47.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 HTG 205

$2.84 ฿93.2

-44.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 HTG 27.99

$0.93 ฿30.42

-77.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.19 HTG 2,632

$53.9 ฿1,770

-62.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 HTG 51.0

$1.23 ฿40.58

-68.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 HTG 53.8

$0.58 ฿18.96

-29.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.04 HTG 2,613

$2.42 ฿79.7

728.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 HTG 158

$1.41 ฿46.42

-14.18%

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

$40.2K HTG 5.2M

$21.4K ฿704.9K

87.49%

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

$45.3K HTG 5.9M

$27.3K ฿898.5K

65.90%

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

$101 HTG 13.2K

$63.7 ฿2,093

58.41%

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

$50.6 HTG 6,598

$12.85 ฿423

293.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$164 HTG 21.4K

$20.22 ฿665

711.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.2 HTG 9,156

$38.74 ฿1,274

81.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.15 HTG 2,627

$3.97 ฿130

407.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 HTG 1,325

$6.74 ฿221

50.74%

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

$101 HTG 13.2K

$778 ฿25.6K

-87.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,994 HTG 911.9K

$14.6K ฿480.2K

-52.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.8 HTG 10.4K

$54.3 ฿1,785

46.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.3 HTG 9,686

$25.45 ฿836

191.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 HTG 15.8K

$94.3 ฿3,101

28.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 HTG 19.8K

$73.4 ฿2,414

107.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$897 HTG 116.9K

$490 ฿16.1K

83.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 HTG 95.4K

$289 ฿9,510

153.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 HTG 168.6K

$894 ฿29.4K

44.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 HTG 137.5K

$517 ฿17.0K

104.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$759 HTG 98.9K

$1,955 ฿64.3K

-61.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$611 HTG 79.7K

$1,477 ฿48.5K

-58.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,400 HTG 182.5K

$602 ฿19.8K

132.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

169.30%

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

Last update for Carrefour: August 29, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $897 in Carrefour and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carrefour pays 132% 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: $91.0 in Carrefour vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $240 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 91% in total monthly costs ($1,806 vs $947 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 132% 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: $897 in Carrefour versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $101 in Carrefour versus $778 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Carrefour. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $1,806 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 91% less than in Carrefour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.