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: $1,752 in Cento versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,714 in Cento versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,676 in Cento versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cento is roughly 102% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cento is 31% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 €17.86

$1.94 ฿63.5

969.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 €70.3

$18.64 ฿609

337.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 €9.49

$7.82 ฿255

41.05%

Cappuccino

$2.09 €1.80

$1.95 ฿63.8

7.18%

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

$2.76 €2.38

$0.85 ฿27.77

224.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$0.35 ฿11.58

305.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.04

$2.13 ฿69.6

175.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 €4.90

$3.73 ฿122

52.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.71 ฿56.0

-7.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 €2.19

$1.63 ฿53.2

56.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.40

$1.14 ฿37.15

143.86%

Eggs

$4.40 €3.78

$1.93 ฿63.1

127.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.21 €18.26

$16.21 ฿530

30.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 €11.51

$3.12 ฿102

328.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.65 €15.20

$10.90 ฿356

61.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.75 ฿90.0

-14.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.21 ฿39.52

76.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.62 ฿53.0

24.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.59 ฿51.8

89.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.40 ฿45.70

16.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.17 ฿38.17

21.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.48

$0.66 ฿21.60

160.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.46

$0.53 ฿17.22

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.03

$4.69 ฿153

49.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.30 €7.14

$18.66 ฿609

-55.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.44

$1.80 ฿58.8

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.63

$3.23 ฿106

-41.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.90 ฿29.26

95.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.14 €37.14

$19.21 ฿628

124.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 €5.06

$1.41 ฿45.91

317.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.29 ฿42.12

13.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.81 €24.81

$7.84 ฿256

267.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.27 ฿41.58

59.06%

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

$26.0K €22.4K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

22.36%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

54.86%

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

$183 €157

$69.1 ฿2,256

164.66%

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

$11.55 €9.95

$14.08 ฿460

-17.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.69 €26.42

$18.00 ฿588

70.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 €46.70

$41.06 ฿1,341

32.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.77 €19.60

$6.96 ฿227

227.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.93 €9.41

$5.92 ฿193

84.63%

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

$654 €563

$299 ฿9,766

118.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,089 €6,964

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-45.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 €78.2

$54.7 ฿1,787

66.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 €37.56

$26.77 ฿874

62.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 €85.1

$85.0 ฿2,776

16.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €146

$70.6 ฿2,306

140.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 €657

$428 ฿14.0K

78.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 €490

$237 ฿7,752

139.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 €1,033

$801 ฿26.2K

49.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 €784

$515 ฿16.8K

76.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,807 €2,416

$1,975 ฿64.5K

42.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,891 €1,628

$1,475 ฿48.2K

28.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,849 €1,592

$617 ฿20.2K

199.47%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $764 in Cento and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 199% 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: $82.0 in Cento vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $246 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 102% 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.

Cento pays 199% 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: $764 in Cento versus $428 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 125% less than in Cento. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $654 in Cento versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,752 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 $866 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 102% less than in Cento. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.