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: $2,552 in Cavan versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,894 in Cavan versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,237 in Cavan versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cavan is roughly 174% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cavan is 87% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 €14.96

$2.08 ฿69.3

730.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €79.1

$19.61 ฿653

365.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.25 €14.95

$5.67 ฿189

204.23%

Cappuccino

$3.59 €3.11

$1.81 ฿60.1

98.34%

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

$3.52 €3.05

$0.77 ฿25.56

357.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.35 ฿11.49

491.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 €5.31

$2.21 ฿73.7

176.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 €6.16

$3.79 ฿126

87.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$2.05 ฿68.1

-37.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.05

$1.51 ฿50.4

56.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.40 ฿46.54

43.57%

Eggs

$4.59 €3.98

$2.26 ฿75.1

103.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.71 €11.88

$16.19 ฿539

-15.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.01 €13.87

$2.90 ฿96.4

452.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.92 €10.33

$9.42 ฿313

26.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.64 €4.89

$2.68 ฿89.1

110.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 €2.54

$1.09 ฿36.25

168.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.77 €5.86

$1.62 ฿53.8

317.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 €4.28

$1.46 ฿48.58

238.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 €2.53

$1.28 ฿42.51

128.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.06 ฿35.19

7.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.12

$0.72 ฿23.86

80.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.53 ฿17.50

115.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.35 €15.90

$4.23 ฿141

333.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 €12.05

$18.29 ฿609

-24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.70 €4.08

$1.63 ฿54.2

188.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.89

$2.90 ฿96.5

94.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$322 €279

$53.8 ฿1,789

499.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 €5.04

$1.17 ฿39.02

397.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 €10.14

$2.39 ฿79.4

389.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.86

$1.45 ฿48.25

47.59%

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

$38.7K €33.5K

$21.0K ฿699.1K

84.20%

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

$38.5K €33.3K

$26.4K ฿879.1K

45.51%

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

$244 €211

$63.7 ฿2,118

282.72%

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

$23.23 €20.13

$12.89 ฿429

80.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.12 €42.57

$20.52 ฿683

139.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$114 €98.9

$39.02 ฿1,298

192.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.46 €29.87

$3.92 ฿130

779.08%

Cinema Ticket

$23.42 €20.29

$6.58 ฿219

255.93%

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

$784 ฿26.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿488.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.9 €81.4

$55.1 ฿1,834

70.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.86 €25.01

$24.74 ฿823

16.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 €79.1

$94.1 ฿3,132

-3.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.04 €30.36

$74.0 ฿2,461

-52.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 €1,052

$490 ฿16.3K

147.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$938 €813

$288 ฿9,588

225.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 €1,905

$891 ฿29.7K

146.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 €1,466

$521 ฿17.3K

224.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,042 €2,636

$602 ฿20.0K

405.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

5.57

-27.29%

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

Last update for Cavan: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Cavan and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cavan pays 406% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 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

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

Cavan and Chiang Mai differ by about 174% in total monthly costs ($2,552 vs $932 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 406% 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: $1,214 in Cavan versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Cavan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,552 per month in Cavan versus $932 in Chiang Mai – a 174% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $2,552 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 174% less than in Cavan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.