Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chartres and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,745 in Chartres, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chartres, France
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Chartres
🇫🇷 France
$1,745
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chartres and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chartres and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,745 per month in Chartres vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Chartres $1,745
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,654 per month in Chartres vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Chartres $2,654
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,562 per month in Chartres vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Chartres $3,562
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Chartres costs about 87% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chartres sits 28% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chartres
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.66 €13.13
$2.24 ฿75.6
554.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.78 €44.59
$19.00 ฿641
162.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.72 €9.60
$5.55 ฿187
93.15%
Cappuccino
$2.65 €2.38
$1.67 ฿56.5
58.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 €2.78
$0.64 ฿21.54
384.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 €1.37
$0.31 ฿10.31
393.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.61 €7.71
$2.36 ฿79.5
264.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.68 €5.09
$3.66 ฿124
55.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chartres
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.35 €1.21
$1.95 ฿65.7
-30.77%
White Bread (500g)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.44 ฿48.46
20.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.57 €2.30
$1.33 ฿45.03
93.23%
Eggs
$3.98 €3.57
$2.28 ฿77.1
74.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 €9.12
$16.45 ฿555
-38.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.82 €10.58
$2.78 ฿93.9
325.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.18 €14.49
$9.31 ฿314
73.79%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 €2.76
$2.35 ฿79.4
31.06%
Banana (1kg)
$3.14 €2.82
$0.97 ฿32.79
223.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.60 ฿53.9
-8.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.31 €3.86
$1.50 ฿50.6
187.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.28 ฿43.11
40.63%
Onion (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.10 ฿37.18
90.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.64 €1.47
$0.71 ฿23.82
130.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.13 €0.12
$0.49 ฿16.36
-73.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.69 €11.36
$4.14 ฿140
206.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.52 €4.94
$17.52 ฿591
-68.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 €1.25
$1.61 ฿54.5
-13.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 €1.41
$2.78 ฿93.9
-43.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Chartres
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.97 €1.76
$0.87 ฿29.30
126.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.28 €44.14
$54.1 ฿1,825
-8.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.33 €2.08
$1.16 ฿39.04
100.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.11 €1.00
$0.53 ฿17.80
109.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.85 €29.42
$2.42 ฿81.7
1257.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.17 €1.94
$1.45 ฿48.88
49.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.9K €15.2K
$21.1K ฿710.5K
-19.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K €21.4K
$26.9K ฿909.0K
-11.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chartres
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 €181
$62.2 ฿2,098
225.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.60 €19.35
$12.17 ฿411
77.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.27 €28.90
$20.12 ฿679
60.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chartres
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.65 €31.93
$37.31 ฿1,259
-4.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.16 €11.78
$3.77 ฿127
249.07%
Cinema Ticket
$15.46 €13.85
$6.49 ฿219
138.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chartres
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$886 €793
$736 ฿24.8K
20.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.0K €10.8K
$14.8K ฿498.2K
-18.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chartres
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$128 €115
$53.4 ฿1,801
140.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.44 €41.59
$24.64 ฿831
88.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.1
$91.5 ฿3,087
11.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.5 €87.3
$71.9 ฿2,427
35.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chartres
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 €677
$482 ฿16.3K
56.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$639 €572
$309 ฿10.4K
106.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,445 €1,294
$1,006 ฿33.9K
43.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 €1,048
$633 ฿21.4K
84.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,188 €3,751
$2,363 ฿79.7K
77.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,043 €1,829
$1,589 ฿53.6K
28.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chartres
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.9
5.57
-29.98%

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

Last update for Chartres: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chartres
$639
Chiang Mai
$309 51.6% $330
Groceries & Markets
Chartres
$296
Chiang Mai
$234 20.8% $62
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chartres
$256
Chiang Mai
$94 63.2% $162
Eating Out
Chartres
$254
Chiang Mai
$78 69.5% $177
Clothing & Footwear
Chartres
$168
Chiang Mai
$109 35.4% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Chartres
$67
Chiang Mai
$50 24.5% $16
Getting Around
Chartres
$65
Chiang Mai
$61 5.7% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Chartres versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Chartres versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $296 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Chartres
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
21:57 9:57 PM
03:57 3:57 AM
6 h ahead of Chartres
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
38,447
127,240
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chartres Chiang Mai 8,990 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chartres
  • Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Chartres vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chartres or Chiang Mai?
Chartres costs about 87% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chartres and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,618 per month in Chartres and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chartres or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $756 in Chartres.
How do childcare costs compare in Chartres and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $886 per month in Chartres and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chartres or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 26% more in Chartres, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chartres or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,745 in Chartres and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Chartres compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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