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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $947 in Chiang Mai versus $836 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Chiang Mai versus $1,195 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,874 in Chiang Mai versus $1,554 in Assela.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 13% more expensive than in Assela, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Assela 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.6

$3.94 ETB 632

-47.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$43.27 ETB 6,949

-54.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$6.66 ETB 1,070

-15.17%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.4

$0.95 ETB 152

90.53%

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

$0.71 ฿23.45

$0.60 ETB 95.9

18.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.63 ETB 102

-49.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.6

$0.77 ETB 123

190.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.28 ETB 366

59.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$1.07 ETB 172

83.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.39

$1.20 ETB 193

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.93

$2.11 ETB 338

-36.49%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.5

$1.72 ETB 277

31.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿535

$7.27 ETB 1,167

123.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$10.10 ETB 1,621

-70.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

$9.16 ETB 1,471

8.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.6

$5.27 ETB 846

-51.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.73

$0.63 ETB 101

68.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$2.20 ETB 353

-26.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.97

$0.67 ETB 107

126.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.77

$0.50 ETB 79.9

154.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.06

$1.06 ETB 170

0.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.68

$0.66 ETB 106

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.57 ETB 91.4

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$7.92 ETB 1,273

-47.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$5.48 ETB 881

226.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$0.66 ETB 105

156.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.3

$1.23 ETB 198

130.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,771

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.59

$1.31 ETB 210

-6.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.27 ETB 43.34

114.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$1.99 ETB 319

21.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.43

$0.97 ETB 156

45.36%

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

$21.4K ฿705.1K

$54.3K ETB 8.7M

-60.50%

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

$27.3K ฿898.7K

$54.9K ETB 8.8M

-50.23%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$208 ETB 33.4K

-69.36%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$7.28 ETB 1,170

76.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$210 ETB 33.8K

-90.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿222

$3.86 ETB 620

74.61%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$137 ETB 22.0K

467.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.4K

$29.7K ETB 4.8M

-50.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$33.35 ETB 5,356

62.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿837

$70.0 ETB 11.2K

-63.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,102

$79.5 ETB 12.8K

18.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,415

$83.1 ETB 13.3K

-11.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,512

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

18.5

-69.89%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Assela: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $43.00 in Assela. Groceries flip the comparison at $240 vs $210, with Assela 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 Assela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assela is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,421 in Chiang Mai and $1,254 in Assela to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $778 in Chiang Mai versus $137 in Assela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Assela – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $836 in Assela versus $947 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Assela but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Assela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Assela is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Assela 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 Assela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.