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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,803 in Cantù.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $2,788 in Cantù.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $3,772 in Cantù.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 48% less than in Cantù, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 32% below, Cantù is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$22.90 €19.96

-90.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$93.0 €81.1

-78.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$11.65 €10.16

-51.33%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$1.87 €1.63

-3.21%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$2.97 €2.59

-74.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$1.74 €1.52

-79.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$5.92 €5.16

-62.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$6.47 €5.64

-41.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.42 €1.24

44.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$2.38 €2.07

-36.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$3.49 €3.04

-59.89%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$4.26 €3.72

-46.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$15.86 €13.82

2.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$13.41 €11.69

-78.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$18.15 €15.82

-48.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$2.83 €2.47

-5.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$1.68 €1.46

-35.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$3.22 €2.81

-49.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$2.40 €2.09

-39.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$2.02 €1.76

-36.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$1.82 €1.59

-41.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$1.71 €1.49

-57.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.66 €0.57

-19.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$6.80 €5.93

-37.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$5.65 €4.92

223.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.95 €0.83

71.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$1.62 €1.41

79.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$1.86 €1.62

-52.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$39.70 €34.61

35.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$5.81 €5.07

-79.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$2.32 €2.02

-75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$40.71 €35.49

-94.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$2.12 €1.85

-31.60%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$37.5K €32.7K

-44.04%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$36.5K €31.8K

-27.58%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$200 €175

-68.22%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$14.03 €12.23

-8.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$28.60 €24.93

-28.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$53.1 €46.31

-26.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$24.66 €21.50

-84.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$12.18 €10.62

-45.98%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$750 €654

4.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$7,352 €6,409

99.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$96.6 €84.2

-42.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$44.10 €38.44

-43.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$136 €119

-31.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$169 €148

-56.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$764 €666

-35.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$517 €451

-44.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$1,198 €1,044

-25.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$936 €816

-44.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$3,428 €2,988

-42.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$1,905 €1,660

-24.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$2,920 €2,545

-79.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.4

63.82%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Cantù: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $764 in Cantù. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cantù pays 385% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $93.0 in Cantù for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $331 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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 Cantù: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Cantù differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($932 vs $1,803 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 385% lower in Cantù. 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $764 in Cantù. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $784 in Chiang Mai versus $750 in Cantù. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Cantù. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,803 in Cantù, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cantù. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Cantù 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 93% less than in Cantù. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.