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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $920 in Chiang Mai versus $885 in Catanduva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,408 in Chiang Mai versus $1,396 in Catanduva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,895 in Chiang Mai versus $1,906 in Catanduva.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 4% more expensive than in Catanduva, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 33% lower, Catanduva 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 ฿69.1

$9.30 R$48.27

-77.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.75 ฿648

$34.22 R$178

-42.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 ฿192

$8.27 R$42.93

-29.26%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ฿57.8

$2.19 R$11.36

-19.63%

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

$0.74 ฿24.37

$1.28 R$6.66

-42.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿10.90

$0.83 R$4.33

-60.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 ฿81.0

$2.26 R$11.75

9.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ฿127

$3.38 R$17.55

14.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ฿62.4

$1.07 R$5.54

77.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ฿54.7

$1.93 R$10.05

-13.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿44.24

$1.32 R$6.88

2.27%

Eggs

$2.14 ฿70.2

$1.93 R$10.04

10.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿521

$11.28 R$58.6

40.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.83 ฿92.9

$4.69 R$24.36

-39.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 ฿345

$10.08 R$52.3

4.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ฿78.2

$2.33 R$12.10

2.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.01

$1.38 R$7.15

-22.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.79

$1.52 R$7.91

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿49.30

$0.74 R$3.83

102.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿41.96

$0.92 R$4.77

39.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.17

$1.00 R$5.17

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ฿22.54

$0.90 R$4.68

-23.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.18

$0.86 R$4.49

-43.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.34 R$12.15

82.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.78 ฿550

$8.07 R$41.89

107.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$1.48 R$7.70

12.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ฿92.3

$2.51 R$13.02

11.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.44

$0.93 R$4.83

-3.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,801

$42.91 R$223

27.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 ฿39.24

$1.12 R$5.80

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ฿17.78

$0.73 R$3.80

-26.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿77.9

$8.28 R$43.02

-71.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.88

$1.12 R$5.80

27.68%

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

$21.1K ฿691.5K

$22.8K R$118.5K

-7.64%

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

$27.1K ฿890.2K

$30.7K R$159.4K

-11.60%

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

$64.7 ฿2,124

$63.2 R$328

2.42%

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

$13.19 ฿433

$6.92 R$35.93

90.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.44 ฿638

$17.58 R$91.3

10.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 ฿1,294

$25.17 R$131

56.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿124

$23.09 R$120

-83.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ฿217

$6.83 R$35.48

-3.07%

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

$805 ฿26.4K

$419 R$2,176

92.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿496.1K

$9,795 R$50.9K

54.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,796

$58.0 R$301

-5.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.43 ฿834

$38.89 R$202

-34.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 ฿3,015

$90.8 R$471

1.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 ฿2,449

$56.5 R$293

32.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 ฿15.3K

$352 R$1,826

32.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 ฿9,251

$232 R$1,205

21.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.2K

$637 R$3,306

39.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.1K

$470 R$2,438

10.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,985 ฿65.1K

$1,549 R$8,041

28.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,462 ฿48.0K

$1,180 R$6,127

23.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.81

-48.47%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 17, 2026

Last update for Catanduva: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $467 in Chiang Mai and $352 in Catanduva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $34.00 in Catanduva. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $208, with Catanduva 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 Catanduva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Catanduva differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($920 vs $885 including rent). Catanduva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,380 in Chiang Mai and $1,328 in Catanduva 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $467 in Chiang Mai versus $352 in Catanduva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Catanduva – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $885 in Catanduva versus $920 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Catanduva but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Catanduva 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 Catanduva 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 Catanduva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.