Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Addis Ababa

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,300 in Addis Ababa, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Addis Ababa
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Addis Ababa Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,300

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Addis Ababa

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 Addis Ababa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $1,300 in Addis Ababa.

Chiang Mai $936
Addis Ababa $1,300

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,914 in Addis Ababa.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Addis Ababa $1,914

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $2,528 in Addis Ababa.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Addis Ababa $2,528

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 28% less than in Addis Ababa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Addis Ababa 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.07 ETB 654

-44.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$42.77 ETB 6,881

-55.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.63 ETB 1,067

-16.29%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$0.88 ETB 141

89.77%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.58 ETB 93.8

10.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.64 ETB 103

-51.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$0.77 ETB 124

206.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.23 ETB 359

64.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.07 ETB 172

82.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$1.16 ETB 186

24.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$2.17 ETB 349

-38.71%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.79 ETB 287

27.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$7.51 ETB 1,209

119.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$10.28 ETB 1,654

-72.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.49 ETB 1,527

-1.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$5.25 ETB 844

-55.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$0.64 ETB 102

51.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.12 ETB 341

-24.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.65 ETB 105

130.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.50 ETB 81.0

156.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$1.08 ETB 174

1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.69 ETB 111

2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.58 ETB 92.7

-15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$8.01 ETB 1,289

-48.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$5.68 ETB 914

208.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.67 ETB 108

140.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.22 ETB 196

127.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.51 ETB 82.6

70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$21.05 ETB 3,387

156.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$1.29 ETB 208

-10.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.29 ETB 47.28

82.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$1.96 ETB 315

23.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$0.96 ETB 155

51.04%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$55.7K ETB 9.0M

-62.17%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$56.1K ETB 9.0M

-51.99%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$202 ETB 32.5K

-69.25%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$7.50 ETB 1,206

62.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$213 ETB 34.3K

-90.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$44.97 ETB 7,236

-17.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$36.87 ETB 5,933

-89.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.77 ETB 607

72.15%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$633 ETB 101.9K

16.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$30.5K ETB 4.9M

-51.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$32.81 ETB 5,279

62.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$69.5 ETB 11.2K

-64.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$77.5 ETB 12.5K

18.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$82.9 ETB 13.3K

-13.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$707 ETB 113.8K

-31.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$392 ETB 63.0K

-21.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$2,299 ETB 369.9K

-56.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$774 ETB 124.5K

-18.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,976 ETB 318.0K

19.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,025 ETB 165.0K

55.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$200 ETB 32.2K

194.51%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Addis Ababa

$392 30.1% 26.8% $83

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Addis Ababa

$213 16.4% 9.2% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Addis Ababa

$118 9.1% 8.8% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Addis Ababa

$423 32.5% 348% $328

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Addis Ababa

$76 5.9% 1.8% $1.4

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Addis Ababa

$26 2% 57.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Addis Ababa

$53 4% 4.4% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $707 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays about 2.9 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $43 in Addis Ababa. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $213, with Addis Ababa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

04:05 4:05 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,500,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Addis Ababa 6,560 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Addis Ababa

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 Addis Ababa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,300 in Addis Ababa, so Chiang Mai is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Chiang Mai is about 2.9 times higher, 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: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $707 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $1,300 in Addis Ababa – Chiang Mai is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Addis Ababa runs roughly 61% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.