Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Abyek

For one person, living is cheaper in Abyek: $572 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Abyek
Learn more

Abyek Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Abyek

🇮🇷 Iran

$572

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $572 in Abyek, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Abyek $572

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $875 in Abyek, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Abyek $875

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,177 in Abyek, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Abyek $1,177

Chiang Mai costs about 63% more than Abyek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Abyek are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Abyek 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$3.60 $3.60

-40.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$15.76 $15.76

18.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$2.82 $2.82

98.58%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 $0.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.23 $1.23

34.96%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$0.38 $0.38

71.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.97 $0.97

-69.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$0.48 $0.48

320.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$0.56 $0.56

151.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$2.48 $2.48

-43.95%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$1.00 $1.00

137.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$3.99 $3.99

314.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$2.72 $2.72

-1.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$9.08 $9.08

-0.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$1.43 $1.43

67.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.36 $1.36

-23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$1.02 $1.02

62.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$0.66 $0.66

136.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$0.48 $0.48

158.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$0.44 $0.44

147.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$0.52 $0.52

46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.27 $0.27

88.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.83 $0.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$2.56 $2.56

60.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.13 $0.13

615.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$10.10 $10.10

423.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$0.52 $0.52

126.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$0.29 $0.29

-41.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$2.93 $2.93

-38.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$0.09 $0.09

1533.33%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$49.7K $49.7K

-57.70%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$45.8K $45.8K

-42.16%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$12.77 $12.77

389.90%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$1.60 $1.60

625.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$3.84 $3.84

428.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$19.75 $19.75

91.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$14.85 $14.85

-75.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$1.98 $1.98

228.79%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$107 $107

579.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$2,556 $2,556

548.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$26.96 $26.96

98.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$38.50 $38.50

-35.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$119 $119

-24.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$72.7 $72.7

-1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$266 $266

81.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$237 $237

30.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$857 $857

23.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$356 $356

85.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$1,162 $1,162

108.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$528 $528

204.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.79

-77.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Abyek: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Abyek

$237 41.4% 23.5% $73

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Abyek

$107 18.8% 54.6% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Abyek

$116 20.2% 6.9% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Abyek

$18 3.2% 80.7% $76

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Abyek

$57 10% 24.9% $19

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Abyek

$13 2.2% 78.5% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Abyek

$24 4.1% 53.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $266 in Abyek. 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 in Chiang Mai versus $16 in Abyek. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $107 – making Abyek the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇷 Abyek

🕒 Local time

15:24 3:24 PM

11:54 11:54 AM

3 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

60,107

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Abyek 5,090 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Abyek

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai, $572 in Abyek – Abyek comes out roughly 39% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $859 in Abyek. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abyek, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $266 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $107 in Abyek. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 120% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $572 in Abyek, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Abyek – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Abyek is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 39% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.