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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,535 in Chalcis versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,233 in Chalcis versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,930 in Chalcis versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Chalcis is 15% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 €11.83

$2.04 ฿68.4

565.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.70 €42.46

$18.71 ฿626

160.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 €8.28

$7.86 ฿263

20.87%

Cappuccino

$4.17 €3.64

$2.03 ฿67.9

105.42%

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

$1.69 €1.47

$0.80 ฿26.71

111.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$0.35 ฿11.71

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €2.98

$2.14 ฿71.7

59.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 €3.45

$3.67 ฿123

7.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.73 ฿57.8

-13.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 €1.42

$1.57 ฿52.5

3.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.20 ฿40.10

64.17%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.54

$1.97 ฿66.0

106.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.57 €11.83

$16.23 ฿543

-16.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.77 €8.52

$3.06 ฿102

219.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 €11.54

$10.80 ฿361

22.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 €1.79

$2.77 ฿92.6

-25.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.17 ฿39.05

58.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.71 ฿57.1

-33.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.59 ฿53.3

24.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.39 ฿46.63

-22.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.16 ฿38.67

9.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 €0.87

$0.66 ฿22.11

51.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 €0.39

$0.52 ฿17.35

-13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 €4.44

$4.65 ฿155

9.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.63 €5.78

$17.78 ฿595

-62.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.45

$1.79 ฿59.8

-7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.34 ฿112

-29.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 €1.25

$0.91 ฿30.35

57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.72 €39.86

$18.64 ฿624

145.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.75 €4.14

$1.41 ฿47.17

236.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.93

$1.34 ฿44.82

-20.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.86 €12.08

$8.11 ฿271

70.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.23 ฿41.27

70.73%

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

$34.8K €30.3K

$21.4K ฿717.0K

62.22%

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

$29.4K €25.6K

$21.8K ฿730.0K

34.51%

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

$286 €250

$71.3 ฿2,386

301.33%

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

$23.78 €20.73

$14.01 ฿469

69.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.97 €27.00

$17.93 ฿600

72.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 €59.6

$40.82 ฿1,365

67.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$10.13 €8.83

$5.72 ฿191

77.10%

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

$297 €259

$308 ฿10.3K

-3.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,447 €4,748

$14.7K ฿491.0K

-62.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €97.2

$55.8 ฿1,865

99.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.12 €34.10

$26.04 ฿871

50.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €88.1

$84.8 ฿2,837

19.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 €83.3

$71.0 ฿2,375

34.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 €463

$423 ฿14.2K

25.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 €327

$242 ฿8,110

54.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 €678

$797 ฿26.7K

-2.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 €527

$507 ฿17.0K

19.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,545 €2,219

$1,918 ฿64.2K

32.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,009 €1,751

$1,464 ฿49.0K

37.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,031 €899

$595 ฿19.9K

73.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.34

-13.20%

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

Last update for Chalcis: July 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $531 in Chalcis and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chalcis pays 73% 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: $49.00 in Chalcis vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $244 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Chalcis, 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: $531 in Chalcis versus $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Chalcis. 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 $49.00 in Chalcis. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,535 in Chalcis, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Chalcis. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chalcis, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chalcis 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 Chalcis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.