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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,211 in Cascais versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,554 in Cascais versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,897 in Cascais versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cascais is roughly 137% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cascais is 62% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.42 €14.31

$2.08 ฿69.5

689.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.29 €39.48

$19.61 ฿655

130.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.56 €8.34

$5.67 ฿189

68.61%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.45

$1.81 ฿60.3

55.25%

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

$2.03 €1.77

$0.77 ฿25.65

163.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.35 ฿11.53

551.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.99

$2.21 ฿73.9

55.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 €5.06

$3.79 ฿127

53.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$2.05 ฿68.4

-37.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.00

$1.51 ฿50.6

52.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.40 ฿46.69

26.43%

Eggs

$3.55 €3.09

$2.26 ฿75.4

57.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 €9.83

$16.19 ฿540

-30.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 €6.22

$2.90 ฿96.7

146.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.97 €13.92

$9.42 ฿314

69.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 €2.55

$2.68 ฿89.4

8.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.09 ฿36.37

41.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.18

$1.62 ฿54.0

54.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.46 ฿48.74

51.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 €1.41

$1.28 ฿42.65

26.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 €2.10

$1.06 ฿35.31

126.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.72 ฿23.94

144.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$0.53 ฿17.56

109.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 €5.23

$4.23 ฿141

41.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.93 €6.91

$18.29 ฿611

-56.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.63 ฿54.4

-22.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 €4.06

$2.90 ฿96.8

60.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 €2.25

$0.88 ฿29.32

193.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.30 €39.49

$53.8 ฿1,795

-15.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 €2.00

$1.17 ฿39.14

96.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.90

$1.45 ฿48.41

49.66%

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

$34.9K €30.4K

$21.0K ฿701.4K

65.91%

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

$39.7K €34.6K

$26.4K ฿882.0K

50.35%

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

$139 €121

$63.7 ฿2,125

118.15%

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

$26.41 €23.02

$12.89 ฿430

104.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 €50.2

$20.52 ฿685

180.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 €55.2

$39.02 ฿1,302

62.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.73 €10.22

$3.92 ฿131

199.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 €6.60

$6.58 ฿220

15.05%

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

$756 €659

$784 ฿26.2K

-3.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K €16.8K

$14.7K ฿489.8K

31.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 €70.8

$55.1 ฿1,840

47.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 €33.86

$24.74 ฿826

56.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €94.7

$94.1 ฿3,142

15.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €123

$74.0 ฿2,469

90.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 €1,603

$490 ฿16.4K

274.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 €1,010

$288 ฿9,620

301.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,991 €3,479

$891 ฿29.8K

347.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 €2,325

$521 ฿17.4K

411.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,105 €6,194

$1,974 ฿65.9K

260.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,101 €4,446

$1,444 ฿48.2K

253.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,324 €2,026

$602 ฿20.1K

286.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.67

5.57

-34.11%

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

Last update for Cascais: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,839 in Cascais and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cascais pays 286% 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: $45.00 in Cascais vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $241 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 286% higher in Cascais, 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: $1,839 in Cascais versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Cascais. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $45.00 in Cascais. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $2,211 in Cascais, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cascais. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cascais, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cascais 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 137% less than in Cascais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.