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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,530 in Chalcis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,354 in Chiang Mai versus $2,203 in Chalcis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Chiang Mai versus $2,876 in Chalcis.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 44% less than in Chalcis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 36% below, Chalcis is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$13.26 €11.35

-85.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$49.44 €42.32

-61.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$9.21 €7.88

-14.01%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$4.12 €3.53

-53.64%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$1.64 €1.40

-48.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.60 €0.51

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$3.27 €2.80

-32.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$4.15 €3.55

-8.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.54 €1.31

6.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$1.63 €1.39

-0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$2.06 €1.76

-42.72%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$4.18 €3.58

-51.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$13.59 €11.63

16.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$10.03 €8.58

-69.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

$13.08 €11.19

-17.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$2.06 €1.76

26.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$1.87 €1.60

-34.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$1.07 €0.92

58.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$1.98 €1.70

-20.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$1.13 €0.96

16.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$1.28 €1.09

-8.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$1.04 €0.89

-35.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.48 €0.41

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$4.87 €4.17

-6.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$6.56 €5.62

177.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.58 €1.36

15.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.42 €2.07

33.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$1.43 €1.23

-37.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

$46.66 €39.94

-58.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$4.76 €4.08

-71.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$1.05 €0.90

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$13.56 €11.61

-39.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$2.17 €1.86

-41.47%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$34.8K €29.8K

-39.17%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$29.9K €25.6K

-24.85%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$287 €246

-75.56%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$24.15 €20.67

-42.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$30.82 €26.39

-42.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$69.6 €59.6

-40.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$9.81 €8.40

-41.08%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$289 €248

5.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$5,455 €4,670

171.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$110 €94.2

-50.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$38.80 €33.21

-32.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$101 €86.2

-16.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$95.4 €81.7

-27.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$521 €446

-18.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$383 €328

-37.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$790 €677

4.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$590 €505

-12.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$2,623 €2,245

-21.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$2,128 €1,822

-28.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$1,090 €933

-41.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.34

15.21%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chalcis: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Chiang Mai and $521 in Chalcis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chalcis pays 72% 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 $49.00 in Chalcis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $264 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 Chalcis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Chalcis earns 72% 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: $424 in Chiang Mai versus $521 in Chalcis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Chalcis. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $49.00 in Chalcis. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,530 in Chalcis, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Chalcis. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chalcis, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Chalcis 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 80% less than in Chalcis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.