Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Addis Ababa Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Addis Ababa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,289 in Addis Ababa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $1,927 in Addis Ababa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,564 in Addis Ababa.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 28% less than in Addis Ababa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Addis Ababa 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$4.02 ETB 646

-48.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$43.13 ETB 6,928

-54.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$6.64 ETB 1,067

-14.61%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$0.95 ETB 153

90.53%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.59 ETB 94.5

30.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.64 ETB 103

-45.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$0.81 ETB 130

172.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$2.29 ETB 368

65.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.09 ETB 175

88.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.21 ETB 194

24.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$2.20 ETB 354

-36.36%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$1.81 ETB 291

24.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$7.57 ETB 1,216

113.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$10.15 ETB 1,630

-71.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$9.29 ETB 1,493

1.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$5.48 ETB 881

-51.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.63 ETB 102

73.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$2.21 ETB 355

-26.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.69 ETB 111

111.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.50 ETB 80.2

156.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$1.06 ETB 170

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.64 ETB 103

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.61 ETB 98.3

-13.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$8.18 ETB 1,314

-48.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$5.64 ETB 905

224.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.72 ETB 116

126.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$1.22 ETB 196

137.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.52 ETB 82.9

69.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$20.71 ETB 3,326

159.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$1.30 ETB 209

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.27 ETB 43.30

114.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$1.95 ETB 314

22.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$0.90 ETB 145

61.11%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$54.1K ETB 8.7M

-61.14%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$55.2K ETB 8.9M

-52.10%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$202 ETB 32.5K

-68.56%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$7.10 ETB 1,140

81.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$208 ETB 33.4K

-90.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$44.76 ETB 7,191

-12.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$36.56 ETB 5,874

-89.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$3.66 ETB 588

79.78%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$139 ETB 22.3K

465.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$30.6K ETB 4.9M

-52.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$32.99 ETB 5,300

67.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$69.9 ETB 11.2K

-64.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$78.6 ETB 12.6K

19.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$82.5 ETB 13.2K

-10.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$694 ETB 111.5K

-29.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$393 ETB 63.2K

-26.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$2,237 ETB 359.4K

-60.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$770 ETB 123.8K

-32.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$1,990 ETB 319.7K

-0.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$1,023 ETB 164.3K

41.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$206 ETB 33.1K

191.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

18.5

-69.89%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $694 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 192% 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 $43.00 in Addis Ababa. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $215, with Addis Ababa 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 Addis Ababa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Addis Ababa differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($932 vs $1,289 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 192% higher in Chiang Mai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $694 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $932 per month in Chiang Mai versus $1,289 in Addis Ababa – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 160% less than in Addis Ababa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,289 in Addis Ababa, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Addis Ababa. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Addis Ababa 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 38% less than in Addis Ababa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.