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 $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $968 in Apatity, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,479 in Apatity, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,991 in Apatity, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 12% 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 ฿64.0

$10.05 ₽755

-80.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$37.84 ₽2,842

-50.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$5.56 ₽417

42.45%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$2.27 ₽171

-15.86%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$1.23 ₽92.5

-31.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.40 ₽29.69

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.37 ₽103

61.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$2.58 ₽194

47.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.16 ₽87.3

41.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.66 ₽49.73

145.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$1.42 ₽107

-16.90%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$1.77 ₽133

13.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$10.68 ₽802

48.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$4.94 ₽371

-39.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

$9.10 ₽684

18.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$1.72 ₽129

51.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$1.82 ₽137

-32.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$2.00 ₽150

-15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$2.65 ₽199

-40.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.83 ₽62.4

59.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$0.72 ₽54.3

62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$1.41 ₽106

-52.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.70 ₽52.7

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$2.87 ₽215

57.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$8.05 ₽605

126.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$0.94 ₽70.4

94.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.87 ₽141

72.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.52 ₽39.35

71.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$1.86 ₽140

-27.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.33 ₽24.47

309.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$6.18 ₽464

33.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$0.79 ₽59.0

60.76%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$34.0K ₽2.6M

-37.76%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$36.0K ₽2.7M

-37.48%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$109 ₽8,173

-35.53%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$5.81 ₽437

137.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$7.72 ₽580

127.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$35.60 ₽2,674

16.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$5.18 ₽389

11.58%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$330 ₽24.8K

-7.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$6,963 ₽523.0K

112.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$68.7 ₽5,160

-20.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$45.04 ₽3,383

-41.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$114 ₽8,544

-25.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$105 ₽7,868

-33.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$447 ₽33.6K

-5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$301 ₽22.6K

-20.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$751 ₽56.4K

9.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$514 ₽38.6K

0.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$2,073 ₽155.7K

-1.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$1,527 ₽114.7K

-0.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$882 ₽66.2K

-27.96%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Apatity: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 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.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Apatity, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $38.00 in Apatity. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $198 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 14%, 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 $1,278 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,451 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 $852 in Chiang Mai and $968 in Apatity. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $306 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $968 in Apatity, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.