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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,744 in Cento.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,350 in Chiang Mai versus $2,733 in Cento.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,838 in Chiang Mai versus $3,722 in Cento.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 51% less than in Cento, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 36% below, Cento is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$20.52 €17.97

-90.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$79.6 €69.7

-76.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$11.08 €9.71

-32.49%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$2.05 €1.80

-1.46%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$2.74 €2.40

-68.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$1.43 €1.26

-74.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$5.63 €4.93

-61.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$5.89 €5.16

-39.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.56 €1.36

5.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$2.61 €2.29

-39.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$2.68 €2.35

-55.60%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$4.40 €3.86

-55.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$21.39 €18.73

-24.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$13.23 €11.58

-77.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$17.77 €15.56

-38.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$2.45 €2.14

10.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$2.21 €1.93

-47.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$1.95 €1.71

-13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$2.85 €2.50

-43.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.57 €1.38

-12.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$1.41 €1.24

-14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$1.77 €1.55

-62.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.51 €0.44

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$7.14 €6.25

-35.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$8.07 €7.07

118.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$1.67 €1.46

11.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.83 €1.61

80.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$1.69 €1.48

-47.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

$43.63 €38.21

-55.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$5.69 €4.98

-76.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$1.47 €1.29

-8.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$28.48 €24.94

-71.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$2.07 €1.82

-41.06%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$26.1K €22.9K

-18.29%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$34.6K €30.3K

-34.83%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$183 €161

-61.45%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$11.30 €9.89

24.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$30.33 €26.57

-42.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$53.9 €47.23

-21.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$23.39 €20.49

-70.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$11.09 €9.71

-46.62%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$678 €594

-54.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$8,173 €7,158

82.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$93.7 €82.1

-40.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$44.54 €39.01

-41.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$97.0 €85.0

-14.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$173 €152

-59.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$740 €648

-41.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$589 €516

-59.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$1,217 €1,066

-32.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$926 €811

-44.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$2,537 €2,222

-24.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$2,075 €1,817

-29.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$1,824 €1,597

-68.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

19.90%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Cento: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Chiang Mai and $740 in Cento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 215% 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 $80.0 in Cento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $350 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 Cento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 103% lower than in Cento. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 215% lower in Cento. 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 $740 in Cento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 126% less than in Cento. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Chiang Mai versus $678 in Cento. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,744 in Cento, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cento. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $861 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Cento 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 103% less than in Cento. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.