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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,474 in Cavan versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,786 in Cavan versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,099 in Cavan versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cavan is roughly 190% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cavan is 85% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.32 €14.83

$1.96 ฿64.0

783.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 €78.0

$18.81 ฿615

384.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.02 €14.57

$7.92 ฿259

114.90%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.62

$1.91 ฿62.6

60.21%

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

$3.57 €3.05

$0.84 ฿27.41

325.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.79

$0.35 ฿11.51

497.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 €5.23

$2.21 ฿72.1

176.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.80 ฿124

77.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.11

$1.64 ฿53.5

-20.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.62 ฿53.1

47.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$1.18 ฿38.62

63.56%

Eggs

$5.47 €4.68

$2.01 ฿65.8

172.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 €6.79

$15.89 ฿520

-50.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.01 €13.70

$3.01 ฿98.5

431.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.13 €10.38

$10.77 ฿352

12.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 €4.90

$2.61 ฿85.5

119.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 €2.49

$1.22 ฿39.88

137.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.78 €5.81

$1.70 ฿55.7

298.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 €4.38

$1.58 ฿51.5

224.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 €2.51

$1.32 ฿43.14

121.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.17 ฿38.23

-3.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.10

$0.67 ฿21.98

92.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.97

$0.56 ฿18.32

101.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.56 €15.88

$4.53 ฿148

309.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.85 €11.86

$18.20 ฿595

-23.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 €3.86

$1.83 ฿60.0

146.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 €4.81

$3.23 ฿106

73.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 €2.10

$0.89 ฿29.00

175.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$318 €272

$19.38 ฿634

1539.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 €4.94

$1.35 ฿44.20

327.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.35 ฿44.05

37.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 €10.00

$8.25 ฿270

41.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.65

$1.27 ฿41.64

51.97%

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

$38.6K €33.1K

$21.2K ฿691.8K

82.65%

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

$37.4K €32.0K

$22.5K ฿735.3K

66.23%

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

$203 €174

$70.2 ฿2,294

190.04%

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

$22.99 €19.68

$13.77 ฿450

66.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.04 €28.28

$17.60 ฿575

87.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.2 €78.0

$41.57 ฿1,360

119.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.41 €30.31

$6.60 ฿216

436.52%

Cinema Ticket

$23.32 €19.96

$5.78 ฿189

303.46%

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

$1,064 €911

$306 ฿10.0K

247.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,661 €6,558

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-48.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.3 €79.1

$54.4 ฿1,778

69.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.42 €25.18

$26.14 ฿855

12.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 €66.6

$84.5 ฿2,764

-7.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.81 €29.80

$69.4 ฿2,270

-49.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 €1,005

$424 ฿13.9K

177.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$913 €781

$238 ฿7,788

283.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 €1,843

$825 ฿27.0K

160.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 €1,413

$515 ฿16.8K

220.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,142 €2,689

$635 ฿20.8K

394.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

-10.00%

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

Last update for Cavan: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,174 in Cavan and $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cavan pays 395% 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 Cavan vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 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

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

Cavan and Chiang Mai differ by about 190% in total monthly costs ($2,474 vs $852 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cavan pays 395% 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: $1,174 in Cavan versus $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Cavan. 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 $19.00 versus $91.0 in Cavan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $2,474 in Cavan, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cavan. 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, Cavan 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 190% less than in Cavan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.