Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Elektrenai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,361 in Elektrenai, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Elektrenai
Learn more

Elektrenai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Elektrenai

🇱🇹 Lithuania

$1,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,361 in Elektrenai, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Elektrenai $1,361

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,054 in Elektrenai, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Elektrenai $2,054

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,747 in Elektrenai, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Elektrenai $2,747

Chiang Mai is about 31% cheaper than Elektrenai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$12.30 €10.93

-82.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$50.8 €45.13

-63.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$6.66 €5.92

-15.92%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.15 €2.80

-47.30%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$2.67 €2.37

-75.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$1.93 €1.72

-84.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$5.46 €4.85

-57.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$5.09 €4.52

-27.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.23 €1.09

64.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$1.45 €1.29

-2.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$1.80 €1.60

-22.78%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$2.95 €2.62

-19.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$9.98 €8.87

65.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$5.79 €5.14

-53.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$9.48 €8.42

-4.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.72 €1.53

39.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$1.43 €1.27

-27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.65 €1.47

0.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$2.98 €2.64

-47.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$0.75 €0.66

65.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$0.96 €0.85

13.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$1.53 €1.36

-50.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.84 €0.75

-39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$5.43 €4.82

-24.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$8.35 €7.42

114.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$1.62 €1.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$1.72 €1.53

63.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$1.09 €0.97

-14.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$32.62 €28.98

62.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$3.22 €2.86

-63.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.81 €0.72

-79.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$13.12 €11.65

-86.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$1.87 €1.66

-21.39%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$26.8K €23.8K

-21.49%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$27.0K €24.0K

-1.84%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$201 €179

-68.88%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$13.39 €11.90

-13.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$11.07 €9.83

83.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$39.22 €34.84

-3.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$22.12 €19.65

-83.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$8.90 €7.90

-26.85%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$508 €451

43.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$9,295 €8,257

78.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$136 €121

-60.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$65.5 €58.2

-62.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$80.6 €71.6

12.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$183 €163

-60.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$593 €527

-18.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$392 €348

-20.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$843 €749

25.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$634 €563

3.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$3,086 €2,742

-21.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$1,911 €1,698

-15.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$1,242 €1,103

-52.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.97

40.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Elektrenai: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Elektrenai

$392 28.8% 26.6% $82

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Elektrenai

$220 16.2% 6.9% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Elektrenai

$209 15.4% 93.3% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Elektrenai

$225 16.6% 139% $131

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Elektrenai

$212 15.6% 177% $136

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Elektrenai

$44 3.3% 24.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Elektrenai

$57 4.2% 12% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $593 in Elektrenai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Elektrenai are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $51 in Elektrenai. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $220 in Elektrenai – so Elektrenai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇹 Elektrenai

🕒 Local time

06:30 6:30 AM

01:30 1:30 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

12,012

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Elektrenai 7,310 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Elektrenai

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 Elektrenai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elektrenai costs about 45% 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 $2,041 in Elektrenai. 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 $481 there versus $593 in Elektrenai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $508 in Elektrenai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Elektrenai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,361 in Elektrenai. 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,361 in Elektrenai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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