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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $848 in Chiang Mai versus $958 in Abaza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,331 in Chiang Mai versus $1,461 in Abaza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Chiang Mai versus $1,964 in Abaza.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 12% less than in Abaza, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Abaza 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.1

$9.29 ₽681

-78.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 ฿603

$37.42 ₽2,744

-50.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 ฿258

$5.77 ₽423

36.40%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$2.35 ₽173

-17.02%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$1.08 ₽79.0

-21.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.61

$0.52 ₽37.77

-38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿70.2

$1.43 ₽105

49.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿121

$2.49 ₽182

47.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$0.59 ₽43.02

181.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿51.1

$0.70 ₽51.5

122.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.95

$1.38 ₽101

-13.77%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.79 ₽131

11.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 ฿532

$10.95 ₽803

48.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿104

$4.99 ₽366

-36.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿355

$8.64 ₽634

25.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ฿87.0

$1.72 ₽126

54.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿40.00

$1.80 ₽132

-32.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿54.1

$1.93 ₽141

-14.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.7

$2.76 ₽203

-43.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.53

$0.85 ₽62.1

56.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.75

$0.71 ₽52.0

70.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ฿22.22

$1.35 ₽99.0

-49.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.54

$0.68 ₽49.75

-16.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 ฿154

$2.97 ₽218

57.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿557

$8.33 ₽611

103.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.03 ₽75.3

76.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿104

$1.88 ₽138

69.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿29.70

$0.53 ₽38.62

71.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ฿614

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿46.18

$1.94 ₽142

-27.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.88

$0.35 ₽25.93

282.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 ฿267

$6.33 ₽465

28.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.88

$0.73 ₽53.2

75.34%

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

$21.8K ฿715.2K

$34.1K ₽2.5M

-36.01%

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

$22.4K ฿734.1K

$35.7K ₽2.6M

-37.21%

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

$70.5 ฿2,310

$110 ₽8,085

-36.07%

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

$14.05 ฿460

$6.10 ₽447

130.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.65 ฿578

$7.86 ₽577

124.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 ฿1,353

$35.15 ₽2,578

17.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ฿222

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ฿195

$5.20 ₽381

14.62%

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

$303 ฿9,928

$325 ₽23.9K

-6.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿490.2K

$6,958 ₽510.3K

114.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,793

$69.8 ₽5,121

-21.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ฿861

$44.06 ₽3,231

-40.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,811

$113 ₽8,254

-23.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,284

$109 ₽7,976

-35.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$442 ₽32.4K

-3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,834

$308 ₽22.6K

-22.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.6K

$768 ₽56.3K

5.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ฿16.7K

$514 ₽37.7K

-0.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 ฿66.4K

$2,530 ₽185.6K

-19.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ฿49.2K

$1,489 ₽109.2K

0.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.4K

$1,376 ₽100.9K

-54.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.33

-67.38%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Last update for Abaza: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $442 in Abaza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abaza pays 121% 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: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $37.00 in Abaza. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $193, with Abaza cheaper for home cooking.

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 Abaza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 121% lower in Abaza. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $442 in Abaza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Chiang Mai versus $325 in Abaza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $37.00 in Abaza. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $848 in Chiang Mai versus $958 in Abaza, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Abaza. 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 Abaza, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Abaza 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 13% less than in Abaza. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.