Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Aix-en-Provence

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,216 in Aix-en-Provence, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 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
106

Cost of Living Index in Aix-en-Provence
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Aix-en-Provence Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Aix-en-Provence

🇫🇷 France

$2,216

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Aix-en-Provence

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 Aix-en-Provence actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $2,216 in Aix-en-Provence.

Chiang Mai $936
Aix-en-Provence $2,216

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $3,435 in Aix-en-Provence.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Aix-en-Provence $3,435

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $4,654 in Aix-en-Provence.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Aix-en-Provence $4,654

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 58% less than in Aix-en-Provence, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Aix-en-Provence is 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$20.24 €18.14

-88.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$79.3 €71.0

-76.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$13.35 €11.96

-58.43%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.76 €3.37

-55.59%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$3.69 €3.30

-82.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$2.30 €2.06

-86.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$7.61 €6.82

-68.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.55 €5.87

-44.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.20 €1.07

62.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$2.20 €1.97

-34.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$2.72 €2.43

-51.10%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$4.69 €4.20

-51.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$20.97 €18.79

-21.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$16.60 €14.87

-83.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$22.85 €20.48

-59.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.81 €2.52

-16.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.45 €2.19

-60.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.83 €2.53

-43.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.03 €3.61

-62.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$2.82 €2.52

-54.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$2.55 €2.29

-56.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.69 €1.51

-57.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.82 €0.74

-40.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$13.48 €12.08

-69.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$9.13 €8.19

91.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$3.44 €3.08

-53.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.11 €3.68

-32.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$1.37 €1.23

-36.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$31.37 €28.11

72.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$2.81 €2.52

-58.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$2.26 €2.02

-76.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$29.14 €26.11

-91.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$2.06 €1.85

-29.61%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$34.2K €30.7K

-38.51%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$39.2K €35.1K

-31.31%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$182 €163

-65.80%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$16.94 €15.18

-28.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$33.30 €29.84

-39.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$34.05 €30.51

9.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$20.54 €18.41

-81.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$15.83 €14.19

-59.00%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$979 €877

-24.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$16.1K €14.4K

-8.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$110 €98.5

-51.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$67.2 €60.2

-63.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$103 €92.4

-11.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$168 €151

-57.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,246 €1,116

-61.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$931 €835

-66.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$2,118 €1,898

-52.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,693 €1,517

-62.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$7,519 €6,738

-68.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$4,819 €4,318

-67.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$3,412 €3,057

-82.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.9

42.82%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Aix-en-Provence: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Aix-en-Provence

$931 42% 202% $622

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Aix-en-Provence

$412 18.6% 75.8% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Aix-en-Provence

$202 9.1% 85.7% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Aix-en-Provence

$232 10.5% 146% $138

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Aix-en-Provence

$322 14.5% 315% $245

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Aix-en-Provence

$51 2.3% 16.9% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Aix-en-Provence

$66 3% 30.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $1,246 in Aix-en-Provence. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aix-en-Provence pays about 5.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $79 in Aix-en-Provence for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $412 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇫🇷 Aix-en-Provence

🕒 Local time

09:56 9:56 AM

03:56 3:56 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

147,478

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Aix-en-Provence 8,860 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Aix-en-Provence

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 Aix-en-Provence: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is about 58% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 83% lower in Chiang Mai. 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: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,246 in Aix-en-Provence. 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 $2,216 in Aix-en-Provence – Chiang Mai is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Aix-en-Provence runs roughly 42% 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.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Aix-en-Provence, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Aix-en-Provence are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Aix-en-Provence on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.