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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $869 in Chiang Mai versus $963 in Adana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,362 in Chiang Mai versus $1,542 in Adana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,855 in Chiang Mai versus $2,121 in Adana.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 10% less than in Adana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Adana 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿65.0

$7.63 ₺352

-74.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿619

$34.61 ₺1,595

-45.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿255

$7.64 ₺352

1.44%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿63.2

$2.64 ₺122

-27.27%

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

$0.79 ฿26.07

$1.63 ₺75.1

-51.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.74

$0.56 ₺25.91

-35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.9

$3.98 ₺183

-44.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$2.97 ₺137

23.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿54.4

$0.93 ₺42.96

77.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.7

$0.47 ₺21.83

246.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿39.28

$1.97 ₺90.8

-39.59%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.8

$1.75 ₺80.5

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿526

$11.05 ₺510

44.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$4.92 ₺227

-38.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿357

$19.37 ₺893

-43.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.9

$1.20 ₺55.1

130.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.83

$2.10 ₺97.0

-43.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.0

$1.08 ₺49.74

51.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.0

$1.16 ₺53.4

31.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.59

$0.72 ₺33.37

91.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿39.25

$0.51 ₺23.53

133.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.11

$1.25 ₺57.7

-44.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.19 ₺8.89

194.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿151

$2.18 ₺101

110.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿545

$5.38 ₺248

207.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.2

$1.88 ₺86.7

-2.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿105

$2.46 ₺113

30.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.87

$0.55 ₺25.49

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿616

$51.2 ₺2,358

-63.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.03 ₺47.63

32.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.12

$0.61 ₺27.91

119.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿258

$10.32 ₺476

-24.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿40.35

$1.26 ₺58.2

-2.38%

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

$21.6K ฿711.8K

$21.9K ₺1.0M

-1.14%

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

$22.5K ฿742.2K

$42.9K ₺2.0M

-47.47%

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

$70.5 ฿2,322

$40.17 ₺1,852

75.60%

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

$13.68 ฿450

$9.58 ₺441

42.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿574

$10.26 ₺473

70.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,361

$44.35 ₺2,045

-6.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿229

$25.10 ₺1,157

-72.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿190

$7.21 ₺333

-19.97%

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

$307 ฿10.1K

$1,275 ₺58.8K

-75.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿481.0K

$10.0K ₺461.1K

46.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,837

$38.55 ₺1,777

44.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿863

$50.5 ₺2,327

-48.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,823

$116 ₺5,359

-26.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,378

$125 ₺5,759

-42.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.1K

$437 ₺20.2K

-1.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,857

$291 ₺13.4K

-18.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.9K

$713 ₺32.9K

14.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.8K

$489 ₺22.6K

4.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿65.3K

$740 ₺34.1K

167.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.9K

$470 ₺21.7K

215.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.4K

$808 ₺37.3K

-23.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

37.2

-86.56%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Last update for Adana: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Chiang Mai and $437 in Adana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Adana pays 31% 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $35.00 in Adana. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $209, with Adana 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 Adana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Adana. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Adana earns 31% less. 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: $430 in Chiang Mai versus $437 in Adana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Adana pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $35.00 in Adana. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $963 in Adana, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Adana. 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 $869 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 Adana 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 11% less than in Adana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.