Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Afyonkarahisar

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $996 in Afyonkarahisar, rent and utilities included – about $720 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Afyonkarahisar
🇹🇷 Turkey
$996
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Afyonkarahisar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $996 in Afyonkarahisar.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Afyonkarahisar $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,548 in Afyonkarahisar.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Afyonkarahisar $1,548

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $2,100 in Afyonkarahisar.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Afyonkarahisar $2,100

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 6% less than in Afyonkarahisar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Afyonkarahisar 27% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Afyonkarahisar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$9.55 ₺477
-76.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$30.28 ₺1,513
-37.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$7.39 ₺369
-24.90%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$3.59 ₺179
-53.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.55
$1.04 ₺52.0
-38.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.31
$0.37 ₺18.62
-16.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$2.30 ₺115
2.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$3.08 ₺154
18.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Afyonkarahisar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$0.95 ₺47.42
105.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.48
$0.79 ₺39.61
82.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.04
$2.23 ₺112
-40.36%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$2.38 ₺119
-4.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$10.25 ₺512
60.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$4.89 ₺244
-43.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$19.18 ₺958
-51.46%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$1.74 ₺86.9
35.06%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.80
$1.89 ₺94.3
-48.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$1.10 ₺55.0
45.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.28 ₺64.0
17.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.12
$0.61 ₺30.56
109.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.19
$0.39 ₺19.55
182.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.82
$0.79 ₺39.36
-10.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.37
$0.72 ₺35.74
-31.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$2.17 ₺108
90.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$14.00 ₺699
25.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$2.00 ₺99.8
-19.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$2.19 ₺109
26.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Afyonkarahisar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.31
$0.70 ₺34.95
24.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,826
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.06
$1.08 ₺53.7
7.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.80
$0.82 ₺40.96
-35.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$6.91 ₺345
-64.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.90
$1.37 ₺68.4
5.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.7K
$44.4K ₺2.2M
-52.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.3K
$39.3K ₺2.0M
-31.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Afyonkarahisar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,098
$77.1 ₺3,853
-19.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$10.72 ₺536
13.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$14.34 ₺716
40.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Afyonkarahisar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$52.8 ₺2,640
-29.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$6.06 ₺303
7.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Afyonkarahisar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$558 ₺27.9K
32.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.3K
$11.3K ₺563.6K
30.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Afyonkarahisar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,801
$43.84 ₺2,190
21.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$34.84 ₺1,741
-29.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,087
$81.0 ₺4,046
12.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,428
$91.4 ₺4,567
-21.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Afyonkarahisar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$410 ₺20.5K
17.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$306 ₺15.3K
0.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$762 ₺38.1K
32.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$564 ₺28.2K
12.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
$1,436 ₺71.7K
64.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$1,006 ₺50.3K
57.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Afyonkarahisar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
42.67
-86.95%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Afyonkarahisar: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Afyonkarahisar
$306 0.8% $2.5
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Afyonkarahisar
$236 0.8% $1.8
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Afyonkarahisar
$113 4% $4.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Afyonkarahisar
$102 8.2% $7.7
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Afyonkarahisar
$165 113% $87
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Afyonkarahisar
$8 * 87% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Afyonkarahisar
$65 29.2% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $410 in Afyonkarahisar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $30 in Afyonkarahisar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $236 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇹🇷 Afyonkarahisar
🕒 Local time
19:30 7:30 PM
15:30 3:30 PM
4 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
747,555
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 49.96 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 55.75 TRY (100 TRY = 1.79 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Afyonkarahisar 6,870 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Afyonkarahisar

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 Afyonkarahisar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Afyonkarahisar?
Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Afyonkarahisar. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Afyonkarahisar?
You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $1,494 in Afyonkarahisar 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Chiang Mai compared to Afyonkarahisar?
Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $410 in Afyonkarahisar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Chiang Mai compared to Afyonkarahisar?
All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $996 in Afyonkarahisar – Chiang Mai is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How do dining costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Afyonkarahisar?
Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $30 in Afyonkarahisar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Afyonkarahisar?
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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiang Mai or Afyonkarahisar?
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.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Afyonkarahisar?
Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Afyonkarahisar are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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