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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $989 in Anapa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,354 in Chiang Mai versus $1,567 in Anapa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Chiang Mai versus $2,146 in Anapa.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 14% less than in Anapa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Anapa 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$9.98 ₽750

-80.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$53.1 ₽3,986

-64.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$8.37 ₽628

-5.38%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$3.47 ₽261

-44.96%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$1.35 ₽101

-37.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.94 ₽70.4

-62.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.36 ₽102

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$5.06 ₽380

-24.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.25 ₽93.7

31.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.66 ₽49.28

145.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.79 ₽59.5

49.37%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$1.98 ₽148

1.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$13.74 ₽1,032

15.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$5.04 ₽378

-40.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

$8.65 ₽650

24.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$1.81 ₽136

44.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$1.61 ₽121

-24.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$2.44 ₽183

-30.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$2.71 ₽204

-41.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.87 ₽65.4

51.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$0.73 ₽54.7

60.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$1.40 ₽106

-52.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.58 ₽43.87

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$3.21 ₽241

41.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$8.22 ₽618

121.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$0.96 ₽71.9

90.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.94 ₽146

66.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.50 ₽37.49

78.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$2.49 ₽187

-45.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.25 ₽18.65

440.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$3.79 ₽285

117.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$0.74 ₽55.7

71.62%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$34.1K ₽2.6M

-37.98%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$24.5K ₽1.8M

-8.22%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$56.9 ₽4,276

23.22%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$6.44 ₽484

113.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$8.64 ₽649

103.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$35.40 ₽2,659

17.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$6.45 ₽485

-10.39%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$449 ₽33.7K

-31.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$7,071 ₽531.1K

109.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$75.5 ₽5,674

-28.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$33.11 ₽2,487

-21.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$131 ₽9,847

-35.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$109 ₽8,178

-36.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$438 ₽32.9K

-3.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$308 ₽23.1K

-22.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$765 ₽57.5K

7.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$503 ₽37.8K

2.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$2,337 ₽175.5K

-12.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$1,717 ₽129.0K

-11.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$667 ₽50.1K

-4.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-44.44%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Anapa: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Chiang Mai and $438 in Anapa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Anapa pays 5% 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 $53.0 in Anapa. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $206, with Anapa cheaper for home cooking.

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 Anapa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Anapa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Anapa earns 5% less. 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: $424 in Chiang Mai versus $438 in Anapa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Anapa pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $852 per month in Chiang Mai versus $989 in Anapa – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $989 in Anapa, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Anapa. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $852 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Anapa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Anapa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.