Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Amstetten

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,189 in Amstetten, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Amstetten
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,189
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $2,189 in Amstetten.

  • Chiang Mai $938
  • Amstetten $2,189

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $3,232 in Amstetten.

  • Chiang Mai $1,426
  • Amstetten $3,232

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $4,275 in Amstetten.

  • Chiang Mai $1,914
  • Amstetten $4,275

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 57% less than in Amstetten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 30% below, Amstetten is 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Amstetten
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.26 ฿75.4
$17.05 €15.17
-86.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.18 ฿641
$56.8 €50.5
-66.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.59 ฿187
$11.13 €9.90
-49.78%
Cappuccino
$1.72 ฿57.6
$3.85 €3.42
-55.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.54
$3.13 €2.78
-79.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ฿11.18
$2.56 €2.28
-87.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿78.7
$3.73 €3.31
-36.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.90 ฿130
$3.58 €3.18
8.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Amstetten
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.05 ฿68.6
$1.73 €1.54
18.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.40 ฿46.70
$2.47 €2.19
-43.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.28 ฿42.89
$2.32 €2.07
-44.83%
Eggs
$2.25 ฿75.3
$4.59 €4.08
-50.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.94 ฿566
$22.13 €19.68
-23.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.74 ฿91.6
$12.96 €11.53
-78.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.36 ฿313
$21.66 €19.27
-56.79%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.3
$2.91 €2.59
-17.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.01 ฿33.92
$2.62 €2.33
-61.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.61 ฿53.9
$3.35 €2.98
-51.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.52 ฿50.7
$4.01 €3.57
-62.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿42.90
$2.57 €2.29
-50.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 ฿37.22
$3.12 €2.77
-64.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 ฿24.09
$2.18 €1.94
-66.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.54
$1.28 €1.14
-59.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.33 ฿145
$7.22 €6.42
-40.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.73 ฿593
$8.98 €7.98
97.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ฿54.4
$1.10 €0.97
48.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.3
$1.69 €1.51
68.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Amstetten
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.85 ฿28.31
$2.75 €2.44
-69.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.9 ฿1,801
$54.2 €48.19
-0.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.17 ฿39.18
$5.67 €5.05
-79.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 ฿19.00
$2.38 €2.12
-76.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.37 ฿79.2
$31.09 €27.65
-92.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.32
$1.63 €1.45
-11.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.5K ฿684.3K
$30.7K €27.3K
-33.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿886.1K
$29.5K €26.3K
-10.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Amstetten
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.3 ฿2,083
$279 €248
-77.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.27 ฿410
$11.22 €9.98
9.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.97 ฿668
$37.29 €33.17
-46.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Amstetten
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.91 ฿1,267
$70.8 €63.0
-46.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.76 ฿126
$21.62 €19.24
-82.61%
Cinema Ticket
$6.71 ฿224
$15.23 €13.55
-55.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Amstetten
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 ฿26.6K
$283 €252
181.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿495.7K
$15.5K €13.8K
-4.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Amstetten
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ฿1,780
$85.2 €75.8
-37.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.05 ฿837
$58.5 €52.0
-57.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.6 ฿3,062
$112 €99.4
-17.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.5 ฿2,455
$125 €111
-41.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Amstetten
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$464 ฿15.5K
$636 €566
-27.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$305 ฿10.2K
$848 €754
-64.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$915 ฿30.6K
$1,286 €1,144
-28.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$552 ฿18.5K
$1,406 €1,250
-60.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,912 ฿63.9K
$7,059 €6,279
-72.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,438 ฿48.1K
$5,787 €5,147
-75.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Amstetten
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿19.9K
$2,995 €2,664
-80.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.5
59.14%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Amstetten: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$305
Amstetten
$848 178% $543
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$238
Amstetten
$394 65.7% $156
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$110
Amstetten
$171 56.2% $62
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$95
Amstetten
$328 246% $233
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$79
Amstetten
$265 235% $185
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Amstetten
$83 35% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Amstetten
$101 97.2% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Chiang Mai and $636 in Amstetten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amstetten pays 403% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $57.0 in Amstetten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $394 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇦🇹 Amstetten
🕒 Local time
06:00 6:00 AM
01:00 1:00 AM
5 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
13,878
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Amstetten 8,040 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Amstetten

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 Amstetten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Chiang Mai and in Amstetten?
Chiang Mai and Amstetten differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($938 vs $2,189 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 403% lower in Amstetten. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Chiang Mai and in Amstetten?
Rent for a central apartment: $464 in Chiang Mai versus $636 in Amstetten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Chiang Mai and Amstetten?
Childcare runs $797 in Chiang Mai versus $283 in Amstetten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Amstetten. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $2,189 in Amstetten, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Amstetten. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Chiang Mai and Amstetten?
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.
Is Chiang Mai or Amstetten safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Amstetten are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Chiang Mai or Amstetten?
Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Amstetten. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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