Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Aja Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Aja

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $456 in Aja, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $738 in Aja, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,019 in Aja, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 89% more than Aja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Aja are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Aja 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$3.49 E£178

-43.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$15.55 E£794

18.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$4.52 E£231

65.49%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.50 E£76.7

34.67%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.31 E£16.07

174.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.10 E£4.88

260.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$1.15 E£59.0

86.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$2.88 E£147

24.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.83 E£42.26

98.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.61 E£31.25

157.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.70 E£35.97

70.00%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.46 E£74.6

32.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$3.43 E£175

372.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$4.24 E£217

-29.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$8.57 E£437

27.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.47 E£75.0

84.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$0.55 E£28.04

112.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$0.42 E£21.69

302.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.40 E£20.35

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.37 E£19.10

272.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.41 E£20.68

192.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.22 E£11.16

204.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.19 E£9.81

194.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$1.94 E£99.3

139.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$6.30 E£322

179.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$1.31 E£66.8

41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.81 E£92.3

82.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.16 E£8.22

450.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$0.41 E£21.11

231.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.29 E£14.78

362.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.93 E£98.6

325.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$0.30 E£15.56

306.67%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$35.8K E£1.8M

-40.36%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$33.0K E£1.7M

-31.72%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$11.99 E£612

489.41%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$6.54 E£334

114.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$10.65 E£544

64.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$22.66 E£1,157

86.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$2.89 E£148

104.84%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$89.8 E£4,582

243.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$1,881 E£96.0K

690.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$27.07 E£1,382

105.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$48.11 E£2,456

-45.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$111 E£5,650

-24.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$51.3 E£2,620

37.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$187 E£9,550

130.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$98.6 E£5,035

142.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$308 E£15.7K

167.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$180 E£9,187

184.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$839 E£42.9K

128.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$431 E£22.0K

240.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

-70.01%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Aja: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $187 in Aja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Aja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $122 – making Aja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Aja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 89% more than Aja, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $684 in Aja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aja, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $861 in Chiang Mai and $456 in Aja. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Chiang Mai and $89.8 in Aja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $456 in Aja, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aja costs $456 versus $861 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aja. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.