Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and El Viejo Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and El Viejo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $726 in El Viejo, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,160 in El Viejo, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,594 in El Viejo, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than El Viejo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Chiang Mai and El Viejo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, El Viejo 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.4

$5.02 NIO 184

-59.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿626

$35.48 NIO 1,300

-47.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿263

$7.11 NIO 260

10.55%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.9

$2.39 NIO 87.4

-15.06%

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

$0.80 ฿26.71

$0.83 NIO 30.51

-3.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.71

$0.74 NIO 27.27

-52.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.7

$1.33 NIO 48.84

60.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$1.95 NIO 71.4

88.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.8

$1.27 NIO 46.55

36.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.5

$2.48 NIO 90.8

-36.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.10

$1.81 NIO 66.1

-33.70%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿66.0

$2.23 NIO 81.8

-11.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿543

$11.27 NIO 413

44.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$6.81 NIO 249

-55.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿361

$7.88 NIO 288

37.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.6

$3.84 NIO 141

-27.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.05

$0.84 NIO 30.92

39.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.1

$1.75 NIO 64.1

-2.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.3

$2.22 NIO 81.2

-28.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.63

$3.92 NIO 144

-64.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.67

$2.20 NIO 80.5

-47.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.11

$1.02 NIO 37.32

-35.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.35

$1.06 NIO 38.72

-50.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$2.62 NIO 95.9

77.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

$14.56 NIO 533

22.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.8

$1.47 NIO 53.8

21.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿112

$2.25 NIO 82.5

48.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿624

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.17

$1.46 NIO 53.6

-3.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿271

$6.87 NIO 252

18.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.27

$1.29 NIO 47.41

-4.65%

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

$21.4K ฿717.0K

$23.2K NIO 850.4K

-7.68%

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

$21.8K ฿730.0K

$26.4K NIO 967.2K

-17.36%

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

$71.3 ฿2,386

$97.5 NIO 3,570

-26.83%

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

$14.01 ฿469

$16.96 NIO 621

-17.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿600

$37.93 NIO 1,389

-52.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,365

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$7.81 NIO 286

-26.76%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$126 NIO 4,615

144.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿491.0K

$6,073 NIO 222.4K

141.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,865

$76.3 NIO 2,793

-26.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿871

$73.4 NIO 2,690

-64.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,837

$133 NIO 4,861

-36.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,375

$108 NIO 3,937

-33.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,110

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿17.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿49.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.25

-51.22%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for El Viejo: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $35.00 in El Viejo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $261 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 El Viejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than El Viejo, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,279 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,088 in El Viejo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $35.00 in El Viejo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $726 in El Viejo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. El Viejo costs $726 versus $852 in Chiang Mai. 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 El Viejo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.