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: $2,499 in Cavan versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,828 in Cavan versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,156 in Cavan versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cavan is roughly 193% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cavan is 88% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.25 €14.97

$2.04 ฿68.2

745.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.7 €79.5

$18.71 ฿625

389.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.64 €15.30

$7.86 ฿262

124.43%

Cappuccino

$3.02 €2.62

$2.03 ฿67.7

48.77%

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

$3.37 €2.92

$0.80 ฿26.66

321.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.80

$0.35 ฿11.69

494.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 €5.27

$2.14 ฿71.6

184.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 €6.14

$3.67 ฿122

92.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.73 ฿57.7

-22.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.07

$1.57 ฿52.5

52.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.20 ฿40.03

67.50%

Eggs

$5.51 €4.78

$1.97 ฿65.9

179.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 €6.84

$16.23 ฿542

-51.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.25 €14.10

$3.06 ฿102

431.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.39 €10.75

$10.80 ฿361

14.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.67 €4.92

$2.77 ฿92.4

104.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 €2.54

$1.17 ฿38.98

150.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.80 €5.90

$1.71 ฿57.0

297.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 €4.39

$1.59 ฿53.2

218.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 €2.48

$1.39 ฿46.55

105.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.16 ฿38.60

1.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.08

$0.66 ฿22.07

89.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.52 ฿17.32

119.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.36 €15.93

$4.65 ฿155

294.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.91 €12.07

$17.78 ฿594

-21.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.13

$1.79 ฿59.7

165.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €4.90

$3.34 ฿112

69.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.05

$0.91 ฿30.30

160.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$320 €278

$18.64 ฿623

1616.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €4.97

$1.41 ฿47.08

306.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.34 ฿44.74

37.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.46 €9.94

$8.11 ฿271

41.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.23 ฿41.19

59.35%

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

$38.8K €33.6K

$21.4K ฿715.7K

80.80%

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

$38.6K €33.5K

$21.8K ฿728.7K

77.08%

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

$207 €179

$71.3 ฿2,382

190.06%

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

$23.32 €20.23

$14.01 ฿468

66.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.37 €28.95

$17.93 ฿599

86.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.5 €79.3

$40.82 ฿1,363

124.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.17 €29.64

$6.88 ฿230

396.66%

Cinema Ticket

$22.77 €19.76

$5.72 ฿191

298.08%

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

$1,036 €899

$308 ฿10.3K

236.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,766 €6,737

$14.7K ฿490.1K

-47.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 €79.2

$55.8 ฿1,862

63.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.28 €25.40

$26.04 ฿869

12.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 €67.3

$84.8 ฿2,832

-8.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.40 €29.84

$71.0 ฿2,370

-51.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,049

$423 ฿14.1K

185.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €798

$242 ฿8,095

279.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,118 €1,838

$797 ฿26.6K

165.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 €1,467

$507 ฿16.9K

233.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,964 €2,571

$595 ฿19.9K

398.09%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,209 in Cavan and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cavan pays 398% 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: $92.0 in Cavan vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $244 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 193% in total monthly costs ($2,499 vs $852 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 398% higher in Cavan, 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: $1,209 in Cavan versus $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% 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 $92.0 in Cavan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $2,499 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 193% less than in Cavan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.