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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,811 in Cerise versus $869 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Cerise versus $1,362 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,661 in Cerise versus $1,855 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cerise is roughly 108% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €14.68

$1.98 ฿64.3

760.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 €48.88

$18.80 ฿612

201.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €9.98

$7.75 ฿252

49.42%

Cappuccino

$3.31 €2.85

$1.92 ฿62.5

72.40%

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

$2.67 €2.30

$0.79 ฿25.79

237.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$0.36 ฿11.62

416.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 €5.94

$2.21 ฿72.1

212.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 €4.97

$3.66 ฿119

57.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.65 ฿53.8

-21.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.63 ฿53.2

6.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.19 ฿38.86

113.45%

Eggs

$4.09 €3.52

$2.00 ฿65.1

104.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.34

$15.98 ฿520

18.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.77 €11.87

$3.03 ฿98.5

354.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.01 €18.10

$10.86 ฿354

93.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 €2.68

$2.76 ฿90.0

12.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$1.18 ฿38.42

85.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 €2.34

$1.64 ฿53.5

65.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 €3.05

$1.52 ฿49.51

132.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.38 ฿45.10

63.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.19 ฿38.84

110.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.27

$0.70 ฿22.86

111.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.58

$0.56 ฿18.13

19.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.55 €11.68

$4.58 ฿149

195.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.28 €6.27

$16.56 ฿539

-56.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.23

$1.83 ฿59.5

40.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 €2.98

$3.20 ฿104

7.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.67

$0.88 ฿28.56

120.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.43 €42.59

$18.72 ฿610

164.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €3.88

$1.36 ฿44.16

231.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.34 ฿43.65

40.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.73 €30.79

$7.84 ฿256

355.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.23 ฿39.92

69.92%

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

$37.2K €32.1K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

72.25%

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

$38.1K €32.8K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

68.81%

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

$194 €167

$70.5 ฿2,298

174.68%

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

$23.51 €20.26

$13.68 ฿445

71.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.77 €28.24

$17.45 ฿568

87.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.59 €32.38

$41.33 ฿1,346

-9.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.03 €15.54

$6.96 ฿227

159.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 €12.13

$5.77 ฿188

144.02%

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

$783 €675

$307 ฿10.0K

155.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,711 €7,506

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-40.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.3

$55.8 ฿1,817

81.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.71 €33.35

$26.21 ฿854

47.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 €78.7

$85.8 ฿2,793

6.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €119

$72.2 ฿2,353

91.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$785 €676

$430 ฿14.0K

82.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 €523

$239 ฿7,774

154.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 €1,182

$817 ฿26.6K

67.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 €948

$511 ฿16.6K

115.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,602 €3,104

$1,983 ฿64.6K

81.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,793 €2,407

$1,484 ฿48.3K

88.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.63

-27.40%

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

Last update for Cerise: June 8, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $785 in Cerise and $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $57.0 in Cerise vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 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

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

Cerise and Chiang Mai differ by about 108% in total monthly costs ($1,811 vs $869 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,717 in Cerise and $1,303 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $785 in Cerise versus $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Cerise. 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 $19.00 versus $57.0 in Cerise. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $1,811 in Cerise, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cerise. 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, Cerise 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 108% less than in Cerise. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.