Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Dilijan

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,260 in Dilijan, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Dilijan
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Dilijan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Dilijan

🇦🇲 Armenia

$1,260

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Dilijan

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 Dilijan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,260 in Dilijan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Dilijan $1,260

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,043 in Dilijan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Dilijan $2,043

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,826 in Dilijan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Dilijan $2,826

Chiang Mai is about 26% cheaper than Dilijan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Dilijan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Dilijan 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$10.91 ֏3,933

-79.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$41.82 ֏15.1K

-54.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$10.24 ֏3,691

-45.80%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.84 ֏1,024

-41.20%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.17 ֏422

-45.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.62 ֏222

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.18 ֏785

8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.73 ֏986

34.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.61 ֏581

21.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.01 ֏365

42.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.23 ֏803

-40.36%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.84 ֏1,022

-19.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$8.36 ֏3,012

96.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$7.90 ֏2,846

-64.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$14.07 ֏5,070

-33.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.49 ֏536

57.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.63 ֏587

-40.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.95 ֏701

-17.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$2.52 ֏909

-40.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.72 ֏260

77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.64 ֏232

71.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.93 ֏334

-23.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.75 ֏271

-34.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.71 ֏977

52.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$9.74 ֏3,512

79.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.51 ֏543

6.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.05 ֏738

35.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.27 ֏96.0

222.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.42 ֏512

-18.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.57 ֏205

-7.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$13.36 ֏4,816

-81.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.55 ֏560

-6.45%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$34.4K ֏12.4M

-38.85%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$28.8K ֏10.4M

-6.47%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$123 ֏44.4K

-49.50%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$8.27 ֏2,982

47.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$22.46 ֏8,095

-10.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$97.0 ֏35.0K

-61.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.73 ֏984

137.73%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$168 ֏60.5K

338.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$10.2K ֏3.7M

44.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$102 ֏36.7K

-47.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$56.1 ֏20.2K

-56.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$129 ֏46.5K

-29.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$151 ֏54.3K

-52.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$578 ֏208.4K

-16.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$388 ֏139.8K

-20.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,056 ֏380.6K

-4.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$895 ֏322.4K

-29.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$697 ֏251.3K

-15.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.42

-58.49%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dilijan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Dilijan

$388 30.8% 25.5% $79

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Dilijan

$238 18.9% 1.6% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Dilijan

$197 15.6% 81.3% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Dilijan

$154 12.2% 62.9% $59

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Dilijan

$176 13.9% 126% $98

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Dilijan

$5.3 * 0.4% 91.3% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Dilijan

$102 8.1% 104% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $578 in Dilijan. 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 18% higher in Dilijan, 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 in Chiang Mai versus $42 in Dilijan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇦🇲 Dilijan

🕒 Local time

23:07 11:07 PM

20:07 8:07 PM

3 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

20,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Armenian Dram AMD ֏

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 AMD = 2.77 USD

1,000 AMD = 2.49 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AMD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Armenian Dram exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 360 AMD (1,000 AMD = 2.77 USD). 1 EUR = 401 AMD (1,000 AMD = 2.49 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Dilijan 5,660 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Dilijan

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 Dilijan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dilijan costs about 35% 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,890 in Dilijan. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $578 in Dilijan.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,260 in Dilijan. That’s a gap of about 35%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $42 in Dilijan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,260 in Dilijan. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,260 in Dilijan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Dilijan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.