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: $950 in Chiang Mai versus $919 in Adana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,430 in Chiang Mai versus $1,445 in Adana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,909 in Chiang Mai versus $1,971 in Adana.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 3% more expensive than in Adana, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Adana 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ฿69.3

$6.27 ₺305

-66.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 ฿656

$24.68 ₺1,198

-19.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 ฿191

$7.32 ₺355

-20.90%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ฿60.4

$2.90 ₺141

-36.90%

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

$0.78 ฿25.61

$1.14 ₺55.6

-31.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.37

$0.33 ₺16.01

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ฿77.2

$2.23 ₺109

4.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ฿122

$3.84 ₺186

-3.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ฿67.1

$0.99 ₺47.91

105.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ฿52.7

$0.91 ₺44.38

75.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.75

$2.39 ₺116

-40.59%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿71.9

$1.78 ₺86.2

22.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 ฿526

$10.13 ₺492

57.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ฿102

$3.25 ₺158

-5.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ฿326

$21.58 ₺1,048

-54.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿86.8

$2.21 ₺107

19.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.19

$1.88 ₺91.2

-41.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.8

$1.17 ₺56.8

39.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.6

$1.13 ₺54.8

35.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.13

$0.38 ₺18.47

226.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ฿37.37

$0.35 ₺16.97

222.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.38

$0.83 ₺40.21

-10.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.48

$0.71 ₺34.43

-29.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ฿141

$2.08 ₺101

105.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 ฿594

$14.86 ₺721

20.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿56.1

$2.01 ₺97.6

-15.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿95.7

$2.39 ₺116

21.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿31.13

$0.89 ₺43.40

5.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.76

$0.86 ₺41.85

43.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.66

$0.84 ₺40.99

-36.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ฿79.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.55

$1.23 ₺59.7

17.07%

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

$21.2K ฿700.2K

$41.9K ₺2.0M

-49.45%

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

$27.3K ฿902.1K

$40.4K ₺2.0M

-32.36%

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

$64.9 ฿2,145

$60.4 ₺2,931

7.55%

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

$13.35 ฿441

$7.78 ₺378

71.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.83 ฿688

$14.29 ₺694

45.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 ฿1,336

$38.40 ₺1,865

5.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

$33.56 ₺1,629

-88.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿222

$6.54 ₺318

2.60%

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

$787 ฿26.0K

$319 ₺15.5K

147.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿499.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,858

$31.69 ₺1,539

77.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 ฿824

$23.63 ₺1,147

5.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 ฿3,063

$92.2 ₺4,477

0.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ฿2,482

$207 ₺10.1K

-63.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.0K

$441 ₺21.4K

9.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ฿9,491

$253 ₺12.3K

13.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ฿30.1K

$791 ₺38.4K

15.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ฿17.5K

$450 ₺21.8K

18.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.4K

$718 ₺34.9K

175.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿47.9K

$446 ₺21.6K

225.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

$852 ₺41.4K

-28.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-88.15%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Last update for Adana: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $484 in Chiang Mai and $441 in Adana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Adana pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $25.00 in Adana. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $238, 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

Adana wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Adana the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Adana. 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: $484 in Chiang Mai versus $441 in Adana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $950 per month in Chiang Mai versus $919 in Adana – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $919 in Adana versus $950 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Adana but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Adana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Adana delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $919 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Adana 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 Adana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.