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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,744 in Cento versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,733 in Cento versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,722 in Cento versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cento is roughly 103% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cento is 31% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.52 €17.97

$1.96 ฿65.8

946.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €69.7

$18.35 ฿617

333.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.71

$7.48 ฿252

48.13%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.80

$2.02 ฿67.8

1.49%

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

$2.74 €2.40

$0.85 ฿28.50

222.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.26

$0.36 ฿11.96

297.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €4.93

$2.14 ฿71.8

163.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 €5.16

$3.59 ฿121

64.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.65 ฿55.5

-5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 €2.29

$1.57 ฿52.7

66.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.35

$1.19 ฿40.02

125.21%

Eggs

$4.40 €3.86

$1.94 ฿65.1

126.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 €18.73

$16.19 ฿544

32.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 €11.58

$2.99 ฿101

342.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 €15.56

$10.94 ฿368

62.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$2.71 ฿91.2

-9.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.17 ฿39.25

88.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.71

$1.69 ฿56.7

15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.60 ฿54.0

78.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 €1.38

$1.38 ฿46.54

13.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 €1.24

$1.20 ฿40.45

17.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 €1.55

$0.67 ฿22.50

164.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.44

$0.56 ฿18.73

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.25

$4.64 ฿156

53.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 €7.07

$17.62 ฿593

-54.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.86 ฿62.5

-10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.61

$3.30 ฿111

-44.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.48

$0.88 ฿29.68

92.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.63 €38.21

$19.34 ฿650

125.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 €4.98

$1.36 ฿45.90

318.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.29

$1.34 ฿44.98

9.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.48 €24.94

$8.21 ฿276

246.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.82

$1.22 ฿41.18

69.67%

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

$26.1K €22.9K

$21.4K ฿718.1K

22.38%

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

$34.6K €30.3K

$22.5K ฿757.7K

53.44%

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

$183 €161

$70.7 ฿2,376

159.40%

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

$11.30 €9.89

$14.04 ฿472

-19.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.33 €26.57

$17.49 ฿588

73.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 €47.23

$42.15 ฿1,417

27.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.39 €20.49

$6.88 ฿231

239.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 €9.71

$5.92 ฿199

87.33%

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

$678 €594

$309 ฿10.4K

119.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,173 €7,158

$14.9K ฿500.4K

-45.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 €82.1

$55.8 ฿1,875

68.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.54 €39.01

$26.11 ฿878

70.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 €85.0

$83.0 ฿2,792

16.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 €152

$70.5 ฿2,369

145.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €648

$432 ฿14.5K

71.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 €516

$239 ฿8,035

146.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 €1,066

$822 ฿27.7K

48.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 €811

$512 ฿17.2K

80.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,537 €2,222

$1,915 ฿64.4K

32.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,075 €1,817

$1,467 ฿49.3K

41.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,824 €1,597

$579 ฿19.5K

214.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

-16.60%

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

Last update for Cento: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Cento and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 215% 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: $80.0 in Cento vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 103% lower than in Cento. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 215% higher in Cento, 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: $740 in Cento versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 126% less than in Cento. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $678 in Cento versus $309 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,744 in Cento, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cento. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $861 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cento 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 103% less than in Cento. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.