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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $466 in Aswan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $719 in Aswan, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $972 in Aswan, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 85% more than Aswan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Aswan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Aswan 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$5.08 E£259

-61.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$8.24 E£421

122.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$3.70 E£189

102.16%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$0.96 E£48.93

110.42%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.27 E£13.61

214.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.11 E£5.40

227.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$1.16 E£59.4

84.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$2.99 E£153

20.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.91 E£46.58

81.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.57 E£29.34

175.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.65 E£33.18

83.08%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.45 E£73.9

33.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$3.40 E£174

376.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$4.35 E£222

-31.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$8.81 E£450

24.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.41 E£72.2

92.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$0.54 E£27.65

116.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$0.43 E£21.71

293.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.37 E£18.84

332.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.41 E£20.77

236.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.44 E£22.50

172.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.24 E£12.30

179.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.20 E£10.30

180.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$1.91 E£97.5

142.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$7.12 E£363

147.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$1.31 E£66.9

41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.85 E£94.5

78.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.18 E£9.13

388.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$0.42 E£21.27

223.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.31 E£15.91

332.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.97 E£101

316.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$0.33 E£17.02

269.70%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$35.9K E£1.8M

-40.59%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$33.7K E£1.7M

-33.10%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$12.00 E£612

488.92%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$6.60 E£337

112.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$10.42 E£532

67.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$22.49 E£1,148

87.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$3.01 E£154

96.68%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$88.9 E£4,537

247.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$1,876 E£95.8K

693.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$27.72 E£1,415

101.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$47.68 E£2,434

-45.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$109 E£5,562

-23.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$51.3 E£2,617

37.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$191 E£9,731

126.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$99.9 E£5,100

139.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$307 E£15.7K

167.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$180 E£9,172

185.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$892 E£45.5K

114.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$425 E£21.7K

244.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

-70.01%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Aswan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $191 in Aswan. 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 $8.00 in Aswan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $125 – making Aswan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Aswan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 85%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $698 in Aswan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aswan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $8.00 in Aswan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 94% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $466 in Aswan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Aswan – 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 Aswan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.