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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,811 in Carrefour.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $2,726 in Carrefour.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $3,642 in Carrefour.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 52% less than in Carrefour, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 35% below, Carrefour is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$14.75 HTG 1,926

-86.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$88.4 HTG 11.5K

-78.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$6.93 HTG 905

12.84%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$1.67 HTG 218

16.77%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$1.53 HTG 199

-44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$1.48 HTG 193

-76.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$5.02 HTG 655

-57.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$7.01 HTG 916

-46.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$1.54 HTG 201

11.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$2.35 HTG 306

-30.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$3.11 HTG 406

-63.34%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$2.71 HTG 354

-28.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$7.49 HTG 979

116.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$6.13 HTG 800

-49.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$11.99 HTG 1,566

-9.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$1.88 HTG 245

46.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$2.44 HTG 319

-50.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.88 HTG 115

84.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.34 HTG 305

-32.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$6.09 HTG 796

-77.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$1.02 HTG 133

14.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$0.65 HTG 84.4

1.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.99 HTG 129

-46.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$3.99 HTG 521

17.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$11.57 HTG 1,511

61.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$0.89 HTG 116

102.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.50 HTG 195

115.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.19 HTG 24.83

373.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$19.66 HTG 2,568

-2.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$0.39 HTG 51.5

261.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$0.39 HTG 50.5

230.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$20.06 HTG 2,620

-60.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$1.28 HTG 167

-0.78%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$40.1K HTG 5.2M

-46.96%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$44.4K HTG 5.8M

-50.02%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$98.6 HTG 12.9K

-29.93%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$50.1 HTG 6,540

-71.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$163 HTG 21.3K

-88.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$70.4 HTG 9,197

-41.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$20.10 HTG 2,625

-65.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$9.94 HTG 1,298

-40.44%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$99.8 HTG 13.0K

199.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$7,092 HTG 926.1K

110.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$79.0 HTG 10.3K

-30.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$76.1 HTG 9,939

-64.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$122 HTG 16.0K

-30.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$149 HTG 19.4K

-52.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$876 HTG 114.4K

-51.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$731 HTG 95.5K

-67.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$1,261 HTG 164.6K

-36.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$1,086 HTG 141.8K

-52.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$746 HTG 97.5K

164.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$589 HTG 76.9K

150.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$1,397 HTG 182.5K

-55.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-66.67%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Carrefour: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $876 in Carrefour. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carrefour pays 126% 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $88.0 in Carrefour for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $256 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 Carrefour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Carrefour differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($866 vs $1,811 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Carrefour earns 126% less. 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: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $876 in Carrefour. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Chiang Mai versus $99.8 in Carrefour. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Carrefour. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,811 in Carrefour, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Carrefour. 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 Carrefour 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 109% less than in Carrefour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.