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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $848 per month in Chiang Mai vs $954 in Apatity, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,331 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,487 in Apatity, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,814 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,021 in Apatity, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 11% cheaper than Apatity, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Apatity are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Apatity 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.1

$10.00 ₽733

-80.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 ฿603

$37.53 ₽2,752

-51.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 ฿258

$5.76 ₽423

36.63%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$2.33 ₽171

-16.31%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$1.19 ₽87.5

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.61

$0.39 ₽28.60

-17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿70.2

$1.36 ₽99.9

57.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿121

$2.60 ₽191

41.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$1.14 ₽83.8

45.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿51.1

$0.66 ₽48.59

136.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.95

$1.38 ₽101

-13.77%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.70 ₽125

17.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 ฿532

$10.62 ₽779

52.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿104

$4.72 ₽346

-32.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿355

$8.68 ₽637

24.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ฿87.0

$1.82 ₽134

45.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿40.00

$1.81 ₽133

-32.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿54.1

$1.93 ₽142

-14.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.7

$2.67 ₽196

-41.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.53

$0.83 ₽61.1

60.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.75

$0.72 ₽53.0

68.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ฿22.22

$1.40 ₽103

-51.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.54

$0.72 ₽52.9

-20.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 ฿154

$2.88 ₽211

62.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿557

$8.14 ₽597

108.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$0.95 ₽69.7

91.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿104

$1.87 ₽137

70.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿29.70

$0.52 ₽38.41

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ฿614

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿46.18

$1.89 ₽138

-25.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.88

$0.35 ₽25.77

282.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 ฿267

$6.28 ₽461

29.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.88

$0.77 ₽56.3

66.23%

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

$21.8K ฿715.2K

$34.7K ₽2.5M

-37.04%

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

$22.4K ฿734.1K

$35.6K ₽2.6M

-37.03%

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

$70.5 ฿2,310

$110 ₽8,100

-36.19%

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

$14.05 ฿460

$6.12 ₽449

129.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.65 ฿578

$7.72 ₽566

128.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 ฿1,353

$35.39 ₽2,595

16.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ฿222

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ฿195

$4.93 ₽362

20.89%

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

$303 ฿9,928

$330 ₽24.2K

-8.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿490.2K

$6,914 ₽507.1K

116.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,793

$69.7 ₽5,113

-21.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ฿861

$43.87 ₽3,217

-40.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,811

$115 ₽8,419

-25.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,284

$106 ₽7,792

-34.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$447 ₽32.8K

-4.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,834

$302 ₽22.1K

-20.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.6K

$771 ₽56.6K

5.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ฿16.7K

$505 ₽37.0K

0.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 ฿66.4K

$2,685 ₽196.9K

-24.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ฿49.2K

$1,573 ₽115.3K

-4.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.33

-67.38%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Last update for Apatity: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $447 in Apatity. 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 $38.00 in Apatity. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Chiang Mai vs $196 in Apatity – so Apatity wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Apatity: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Apatity is pricier by about 13%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,272 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,431 in Apatity. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $848 in Chiang Mai and $954 in Apatity. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $303 per month in Chiang Mai and $330 in Apatity. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $848, than in Apatity at $954. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Apatity it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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