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: $1,682 in Cento versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,733 in Cento versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,783 in Cento versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cento is roughly 80% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cento is 23% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.12 €18.38

$2.08 ฿69.3

915.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 €81.7

$19.61 ฿653

378.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 €10.47

$5.67 ฿189

112.17%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €1.97

$1.81 ฿60.1

24.86%

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

$3.37 €2.94

$0.77 ฿25.58

337.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.45

$0.35 ฿11.49

374.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 €5.60

$2.21 ฿73.7

191.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 €5.05

$3.79 ฿126

53.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.24

$2.05 ฿68.2

-30.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.51 ฿50.4

84.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 €2.39

$1.40 ฿46.57

96.43%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.47

$2.26 ฿75.2

76.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.38 €16.86

$16.19 ฿539

19.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.83 €11.17

$2.90 ฿96.4

342.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 €15.62

$9.42 ฿314

90.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.98

$2.68 ฿89.2

-14.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.09 ฿36.28

55.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.69

$1.62 ฿53.8

19.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.27

$1.46 ฿48.61

78.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.28 ฿42.54

22.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.06 ฿35.21

32.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.48

$0.72 ฿23.88

136.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$0.53 ฿17.51

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.09

$4.23 ฿141

65.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 €7.07

$18.29 ฿609

-55.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.63 ฿54.3

-1.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.90 ฿96.6

-31.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.49

$0.88 ฿29.24

95.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.48 €43.06

$53.8 ฿1,790

-7.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €4.02

$1.17 ฿39.04

294.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.33

$0.58 ฿19.25

163.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.69 €24.97

$2.39 ฿79.4

1100.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.45 ฿48.28

46.90%

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

$36.9K €32.2K

$21.0K ฿699.5K

75.85%

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

$35.7K €31.1K

$26.4K ฿879.7K

35.02%

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

$225 €195

$63.7 ฿2,119

252.82%

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

$11.56 €10.06

$12.89 ฿429

-10.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 €24.64

$20.52 ฿683

38.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 €43.74

$39.02 ฿1,299

28.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.02 €21.78

$3.92 ฿130

538.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 €9.03

$6.58 ฿219

57.60%

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

$579 €504

$784 ฿26.1K

-26.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,588 €3,993

$14.7K ฿488.4K

-68.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 €84.1

$55.1 ฿1,835

75.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.52 €37.88

$24.74 ฿824

75.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.5

$94.1 ฿3,133

9.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 €135

$74.0 ฿2,462

109.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 €485

$490 ฿16.3K

13.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 €405

$288 ฿9,594

61.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 €959

$891 ฿29.7K

23.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$972 €846

$521 ฿17.3K

86.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 €2,717

$1,974 ฿65.7K

58.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,998 €1,739

$1,444 ฿48.1K

38.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,812 €1,577

$602 ฿20.0K

201.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.22

5.57

-42.19%

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

Last update for Cento: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $557 in Cento and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 201% 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: $94.0 in Cento vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 80% 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 201% 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: $557 in Cento versus $490 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 9% less than in Cento. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $579 in Cento versus $784 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,682 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 $932 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 80% less than in Cento. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.