Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Alhaurin el Grande

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,632 in Alhaurin el Grande, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Alhaurin el Grande
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Alhaurin el Grande Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Alhaurin el Grande

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Alhaurin el Grande

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 Alhaurin el Grande actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,632 in Alhaurin el Grande, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Alhaurin el Grande $1,632

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,333 in Alhaurin el Grande, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Alhaurin el Grande $2,333

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,035 in Alhaurin el Grande, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Alhaurin el Grande $3,035

Chiang Mai is about 43% cheaper than Alhaurin el Grande, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Alhaurin el Grande is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$16.55 €14.85

-87.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$55.1 €49.47

-66.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$9.93 €8.91

-43.61%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$2.40 €2.15

-30.83%

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

$0.65 ฿21.70

$2.56 €2.30

-74.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.23

$1.80 €1.61

-83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$3.39 €3.04

-31.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$4.13 €3.71

-11.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.17 €1.05

72.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.24

$1.42 €1.28

-0.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.69

$1.53 €1.38

-9.15%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$3.18 €2.85

-25.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$13.92 €12.50

18.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.6

$8.25 €7.40

-67.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$17.18 €15.42

-47.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.5

$2.46 €2.21

-2.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.93

$2.01 €1.80

-48.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$2.21 €1.98

-24.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.53 €2.27

-38.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.52

$1.83 €1.64

-32.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.46

$2.08 €1.87

-47.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.56

$1.29 €1.16

-41.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.25

$0.71 €0.64

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$5.58 €5.01

-26.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$5.56 €4.99

222.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.22 €1.10

32.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.7

$2.41 €2.17

17.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.35

$1.53 €1.38

-39.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,775

$29.28 €26.28

80.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.48

$3.59 €3.22

-67.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$1.13 €1.02

-84.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$24.14 €21.66

-92.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.41

$1.89 €1.70

-22.22%

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

$21.0K ฿705.0K

$31.6K €28.4K

-33.59%

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

$26.5K ฿889.6K

$27.2K €24.4K

-2.40%

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

$62.6 ฿2,099

$151 €136

-58.59%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$17.21 €15.45

-32.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$27.77 €24.92

-26.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,271

$47.96 €43.04

-21.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$14.69 €13.18

-74.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$9.03 €8.11

-27.91%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$453 €407

60.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.1K

$8,236 €7,391

101.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,796

$94.3 €84.7

-43.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$38.72 €34.75

-35.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,032

$80.6 €72.3

12.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,415

$128 €115

-43.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$775 €695

-37.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$667 €599

-53.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$1,140 €1,023

-7.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$844 €758

-21.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$3,436 €3,083

-29.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$2,522 €2,264

-36.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$1,140 €1,023

-47.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.3

68.79%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Alhaurin el Grande: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Alhaurin el Grande

$667 40.9% 115% $357

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Alhaurin el Grande

$271 16.6% 14.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Alhaurin el Grande

$154 9.4% 42% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Alhaurin el Grande

$196 12% 108% $102

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Alhaurin el Grande

$234 14.3% 205% $157

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Alhaurin el Grande

$45 2.7% 23.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Alhaurin el Grande

$66 4.1% 29.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $775 in Alhaurin el Grande. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 92% higher in Alhaurin el Grande. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $55 in Alhaurin el Grande. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $271 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇸 Alhaurin el Grande

🕒 Local time

07:40 7:40 AM

01:40 1:40 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

26,879

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 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 7, 2026: 1 USD = 33.55 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.49 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 0.897 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Alhaurin el Grande 9,930 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Alhaurin el Grande

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 Alhaurin el Grande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai, $1,632 in Alhaurin el Grande – Chiang Mai comes out roughly 43% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,448 in Alhaurin el Grande. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $775 in Alhaurin el Grande.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Alhaurin el Grande, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $55 in Alhaurin el Grande. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,632 in Alhaurin el Grande. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,632 in Alhaurin el Grande. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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