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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $848 in Chiang Mai versus $1,961 in Acre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,331 in Chiang Mai versus $3,053 in Acre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Chiang Mai versus $4,145 in Acre.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 57% less than in Acre, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 36% below, Acre is 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿63.6

$22.41 ₪65.4

-91.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 ฿598

$84.1 ₪246

-78.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 ฿256

$15.76 ₪46.02

-50.06%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.4

$4.13 ₪12.07

-52.78%

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

$0.85 ฿27.57

$3.07 ₪8.97

-72.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.52

$2.35 ₪6.86

-86.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿69.6

$8.79 ₪25.66

-75.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿120

$8.39 ₪24.51

-56.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿53.9

$2.11 ₪6.15

-21.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿50.7

$2.92 ₪8.52

-46.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.63

$3.19 ₪9.30

-62.70%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿64.7

$4.28 ₪12.51

-53.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 ฿528

$17.16 ₪50.1

-5.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿103

$10.60 ₪30.96

-70.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿352

$21.84 ₪63.8

-50.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ฿86.2

$3.17 ₪9.26

-16.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.67

$2.32 ₪6.78

-47.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.7

$1.90 ₪5.56

-13.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.3

$2.20 ₪6.42

-29.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.17

$1.71 ₪5.00

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.43

$1.56 ₪4.57

-22.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ฿22.04

$1.93 ₪5.64

-64.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.38

$1.59 ₪4.63

-64.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 ฿152

$10.76 ₪31.41

-56.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿552

$13.51 ₪39.46

25.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿59.3

$2.92 ₪8.54

-37.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿103

$3.50 ₪10.21

-9.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿29.46

$1.63 ₪4.77

-44.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ฿609

$70.7 ₪206

-73.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.80

$4.00 ₪11.67

-64.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.52

$0.81 ₪2.37

65.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 ฿265

$33.23 ₪97.0

-75.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.53

$2.06 ₪6.02

-37.86%

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

$21.8K ฿709.3K

$46.4K ₪135.5K

-52.95%

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

$22.4K ฿728.0K

$44.5K ₪129.8K

-49.61%

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

$70.5 ฿2,291

$240 ₪700

-70.59%

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

$14.05 ฿457

$9.93 ₪28.98

41.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.65 ฿574

$27.34 ₪79.9

-35.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 ฿1,342

$107 ₪313

-61.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ฿220

$2.05 ₪5.98

229.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ฿194

$12.90 ₪37.67

-53.80%

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

$303 ฿9,846

$1,058 ₪3,089

-71.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿486.2K

$3,931 ₪11.5K

280.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,778

$85.9 ₪251

-36.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ฿854

$53.6 ₪156

-50.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,788

$132 ₪387

-35.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,265

$108 ₪317

-35.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿13.9K

$622 ₪1,817

-31.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,769

$525 ₪1,533

-54.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.4K

$1,001 ₪2,924

-19.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ฿16.6K

$951 ₪2,777

-46.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 ฿65.8K

$5,869 ₪17.1K

-65.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ฿48.8K

$5,072 ₪14.8K

-70.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.35

-6.54%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Last update for Acre: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $622 in Acre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $84.0 in Acre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $382 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 131% lower than in Acre. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,272 in Chiang Mai and $2,941 in Acre to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $622 in Acre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Acre. 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 $18.00 versus $84.0 in Acre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $848 in Chiang Mai versus $1,961 in Acre, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Acre. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $848 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Acre 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 131% less than in Acre. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.