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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $605 in Abalessa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $979 in Abalessa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,352 in Abalessa, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 41% more than Abalessa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Abalessa are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Abalessa 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$3.17 DZD 419

-35.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$23.39 DZD 3,093

-20.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$4.01 DZD 531

96.01%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$0.77 DZD 102

163.64%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.60 DZD 79.4

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.23 DZD 30.44

52.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$2.00 DZD 265

7.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$2.40 DZD 317

52.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$1.02 DZD 135

69.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.14 DZD 18.11

1021.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$1.63 DZD 215

-26.38%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$1.85 DZD 245

6.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$8.90 DZD 1,177

82.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$5.33 DZD 705

-42.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$16.70 DZD 2,208

-35.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$3.17 DZD 419

-12.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$2.84 DZD 375

-58.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$1.69 DZD 224

1.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$0.79 DZD 105

101.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$0.56 DZD 73.6

148.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$0.46 DZD 60.8

152.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.60 DZD 79.9

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.30 DZD 39.99

73.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$2.70 DZD 357

72.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$7.75 DZD 1,025

129.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.29 DZD 171

38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$2.06 DZD 272

62.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.25 DZD 33.18

264.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

$17.44 DZD 2,306

6.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$0.70 DZD 93.1

101.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$0.33 DZD 44.04

306.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$5.17 DZD 684

56.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$0.34 DZD 44.47

261.76%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$31.8K DZD 4.2M

-32.61%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$33.0K DZD 4.4M

-33.96%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$41.10 DZD 5,434

73.55%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$9.58 DZD 1,267

46.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$17.10 DZD 2,260

4.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$23.35 DZD 3,087

74.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$5.49 DZD 726

4.19%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$92.3 DZD 12.2K

234.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$3,658 DZD 483.6K

301.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$37.02 DZD 4,895

50.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$45.41 DZD 6,005

-42.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$76.4 DZD 10.1K

11.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$78.3 DZD 10.3K

-9.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$194 DZD 25.6K

118.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$114 DZD 15.0K

113.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$274 DZD 36.3K

190.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$185 DZD 24.5K

173.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$990 DZD 130.9K

93.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$1,211 DZD 160.2K

20.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.42

-7.75%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Abalessa: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Chiang Mai versus $194 in Abalessa. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $23.00 in Abalessa. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Chiang Mai vs $207 in Abalessa – so Abalessa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 41% more than Abalessa, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,279 per month in Chiang Mai and $908 in Abalessa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abalessa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $23.00 in Abalessa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $605 in Abalessa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Abalessa costs $605 versus $852 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Abalessa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.