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: $2,500 in Cavan versus $848 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,798 in Cavan versus $1,331 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,095 in Cavan versus $1,814 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cavan is roughly 195% more expensive than 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

$17.55 €15.11

$1.96 ฿63.6

795.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.6 €78.9

$18.39 ฿598

398.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.28 €14.88

$7.87 ฿256

119.57%

Cappuccino

$2.94 €2.54

$1.95 ฿63.4

50.77%

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

$3.38 €2.91

$0.85 ฿27.57

297.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.32 ฿10.52

546.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 €5.36

$2.14 ฿69.6

191.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 €6.05

$3.68 ฿120

90.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.66 ฿53.9

-21.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €1.96

$1.56 ฿50.7

46.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.19 ฿38.63

63.03%

Eggs

$5.68 €4.89

$1.99 ฿64.7

185.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 €7.09

$16.24 ฿528

-49.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.14 €13.90

$3.17 ฿103

409.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 €10.43

$10.84 ฿352

11.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 €4.93

$2.65 ฿86.2

116.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 €2.42

$1.22 ฿39.67

130.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.00 €6.03

$1.65 ฿53.7

324.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 €4.19

$1.55 ฿50.3

213.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 €2.55

$1.33 ฿43.17

122.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.21 ฿39.43

-3.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.68 ฿22.04

82.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.98

$0.57 ฿18.38

98.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.69 €16.09

$4.68 ฿152

299.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 €11.91

$16.99 ฿552

-18.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.90

$1.82 ฿59.3

148.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$3.18 ฿103

80.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 €2.10

$0.91 ฿29.46

168.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$316 €272

$18.74 ฿609

1583.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 €4.96

$1.41 ฿45.80

308.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.34 ฿43.52

44.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.42 €9.83

$8.14 ฿265

40.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.28 ฿41.53

56.25%

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

$38.4K €33.0K

$21.8K ฿709.3K

75.81%

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

$38.5K €33.1K

$22.4K ฿728.0K

71.84%

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

$207 €178

$70.5 ฿2,291

193.15%

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

$23.41 €20.16

$14.05 ฿457

66.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.31 €28.68

$17.65 ฿574

88.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.9 €76.6

$41.29 ฿1,342

115.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.40 €30.48

$6.76 ฿220

423.67%

Cinema Ticket

$23.09 €19.89

$5.96 ฿194

287.42%

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

$1,049 €903

$303 ฿9,846

246.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,842 €6,753

$15.0K ฿486.2K

-47.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.4 €79.6

$54.7 ฿1,778

68.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.47 €24.52

$26.29 ฿854

8.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 €67.4

$85.8 ฿2,788

-8.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.02 €30.16

$69.7 ฿2,265

-49.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 €1,011

$428 ฿13.9K

174.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$921 €793

$239 ฿7,769

285.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 €1,859

$811 ฿26.4K

166.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,423

$510 ฿16.6K

224.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 ฿65.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,995 €2,579

$623 ฿20.2K

381.13%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,174 in Cavan and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cavan pays 381% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $242 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 195% in total monthly costs ($2,500 vs $848 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cavan pays 381% 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 $428 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 $18.00 versus $92.0 in Cavan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $848 in Chiang Mai versus $2,500 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 195% less than in Cavan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.