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: $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,828 in Carrefour.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,350 in Chiang Mai versus $2,675 in Carrefour.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,838 in Chiang Mai versus $3,523 in Carrefour.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 53% less than in Carrefour, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 36% below, Carrefour is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.9

$14.81 HTG 1,928

-86.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$89.3 HTG 11.6K

-79.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$7.17 HTG 933

4.32%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.63 HTG 213

23.93%

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

$0.85 ฿28.52

$1.57 HTG 204

-45.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.97

$1.49 HTG 194

-75.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$5.05 HTG 657

-57.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$7.08 HTG 921

-49.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.50 HTG 195

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$2.35 HTG 306

-33.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.05

$3.14 HTG 409

-62.10%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$2.73 HTG 355

-28.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿545

$7.79 HTG 1,014

107.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$5.97 HTG 777

-49.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$11.71 HTG 1,524

-6.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.86 HTG 242

45.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.27

$2.47 HTG 321

-52.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$0.93 HTG 122

81.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$2.36 HTG 307

-32.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$6.22 HTG 810

-77.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.47

$0.97 HTG 127

23.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.51

$0.65 HTG 84.1

3.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.74

$1.02 HTG 133

-45.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$4.02 HTG 524

15.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$11.63 HTG 1,514

51.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$0.87 HTG 113

113.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.50 HTG 196

120.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

$0.21 HTG 27.59

319.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

$19.74 HTG 2,570

-2.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.92

$0.36 HTG 47.08

277.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

$0.42 HTG 54.3

219.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$19.68 HTG 2,562

-58.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.20

$1.23 HTG 161

-0.81%

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

$21.4K ฿718.5K

$40.7K HTG 5.3M

-47.54%

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

$22.5K ฿758.1K

$45.0K HTG 5.9M

-49.91%

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

$70.7 ฿2,378

$99.5 HTG 13.0K

-29.00%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$49.62 HTG 6,461

-71.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿589

$167 HTG 21.7K

-89.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

$71.3 HTG 9,284

-40.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$20.17 HTG 2,626

-65.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$10.16 HTG 1,323

-41.73%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$98.4 HTG 12.8K

213.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.7K

$6,896 HTG 897.9K

115.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,876

$79.9 HTG 10.4K

-30.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿879

$75.8 HTG 9,873

-65.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,793

$120 HTG 15.6K

-30.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,371

$149 HTG 19.4K

-52.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$868 HTG 113.0K

-50.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

$714 HTG 93.0K

-66.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$1,296 HTG 168.7K

-36.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$1,087 HTG 141.5K

-52.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$775 HTG 100.9K

147.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

$610 HTG 79.4K

140.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$1,409 HTG 183.5K

-58.89%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Carrefour: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Chiang Mai and $868 in Carrefour. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carrefour pays 143% 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: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $89.0 in Carrefour for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 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 112% in total monthly costs ($861 vs $1,828 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 143% lower in Carrefour. 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: $432 in Chiang Mai versus $868 in Carrefour. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Chiang Mai versus $98.4 in Carrefour. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Carrefour. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,828 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 112% less than in Carrefour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.