Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ciudad Real

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,163 in Ciudad Real, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ciudad Real
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Ciudad Real Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Ciudad Real

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,163

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ciudad Real

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Ciudad Real actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,163 in Ciudad Real, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Ciudad Real $1,163

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,778 in Ciudad Real, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Ciudad Real $1,778

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,393 in Ciudad Real, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Ciudad Real $2,393

Chiang Mai is about 19% cheaper than Ciudad Real, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Ciudad Real are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Ciudad Real 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$13.61 €12.10

-83.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$49.23 €43.79

-61.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$11.31 €10.06

-50.57%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.49 €2.22

-30.92%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.58 €2.30

-75.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$2.08 €1.85

-84.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$3.34 €2.97

-29.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$4.49 €3.99

-13.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.23 €1.10

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.70 €0.62

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.38 €1.23

-7.25%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.76 €2.45

-18.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.81 €7.84

92.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$5.54 €4.93

-50.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$10.08 €8.96

-7.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.27 €2.02

5.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.97 €1.75

-48.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.71 €1.52

-5.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.10 €1.87

-27.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.22 €1.08

4.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.11 €0.99

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.09 €0.97

-33.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.61 €0.54

-14.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$6.20 €5.51

-30.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$5.11 €4.55

246.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.14 €1.01

42.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.27 €2.02

25.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$1.20 €1.07

-29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$10.98 €9.77

390.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.85 €1.65

-36.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.10 €0.98

-48.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$21.17 €18.83

-88.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.68 €1.49

-13.69%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$35.6K €31.6K

-42.41%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$28.7K €25.5K

-7.65%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$162 €144

-61.44%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$10.57 €9.40

16.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$24.71 €21.98

-19.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$39.08 €34.76

-2.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$8.48 €7.55

-20.87%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$842 €749

-5.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$2,834 €2,521

423.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$88.1 €78.4

-39.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$39.20 €34.87

-36.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$82.7 €73.6

10.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$106 €94.6

-30.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$449 €399

3.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$329 €293

-7.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$658 €586

39.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$559 €497

-1.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$910 €809

58.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$1,390 €1,237

-57.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.29

69.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Real: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Ciudad Real

$329 28.3% 8.1% $25

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Ciudad Real

$199 17.1% 16.5% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Ciudad Real

$142 12.2% 30% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Ciudad Real

$197 16.9% 108% $102

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Ciudad Real

$217 18.7% 175% $138

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Ciudad Real

$23 2% 62.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Ciudad Real

$56 4.8% 9.2% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $449 in Ciudad Real. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 134% higher in Ciudad Real, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $49.00 in Ciudad Real. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $199 in Ciudad Real – so Ciudad Real wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇸 Ciudad Real

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

14:44 2:44 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

75,303

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ciudad Real 9,760 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ciudad Real

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ciudad Real: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad Real costs about 24% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,745 in Ciudad Real. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $842 in Ciudad Real. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Ciudad Real – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Ciudad Real at $1,163. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ciudad Real it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,163 in Ciudad Real. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ciudad Real makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.