Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Givatayim

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,917 in Givatayim, rent and utilities included – about $23,800 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
144

Cost of Living Index in Givatayim
Learn more

Givatayim Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Givatayim

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,917

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,917 in Givatayim, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Givatayim $2,917

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,295 in Givatayim, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Givatayim $4,295

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,674 in Givatayim, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Givatayim $5,674

Chiang Mai is about 68% cheaper than Givatayim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Givatayim is 114% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$22.76 ₪69.7

-90.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$65.3 ₪200

-70.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$19.23 ₪58.9

-71.14%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$4.72 ₪14.46

-64.62%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$2.90 ₪8.89

-77.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$2.25 ₪6.89

-86.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$11.28 ₪34.54

-79.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$9.80 ₪30.03

-62.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.39 ₪7.31

-18.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$2.65 ₪8.13

-45.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.70 ₪8.26

-50.74%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$5.97 ₪18.29

-61.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$21.62 ₪66.2

-23.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$14.31 ₪43.83

-80.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$28.61 ₪87.6

-67.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$4.64 ₪14.21

-49.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$3.88 ₪11.89

-75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.15 ₪9.64

-49.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$4.01 ₪12.28

-62.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.75 ₪5.36

-26.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.90 ₪5.81

-42.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$3.41 ₪10.44

-79.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.47 ₪4.49

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$15.50 ₪47.48

-73.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$12.55 ₪38.44

39.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.76 ₪8.45

-41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.54 ₪7.77

9.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$2.54 ₪7.78

-65.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$101 ₪311

-46.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$7.10 ₪21.76

-83.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.31 ₪4.02

-59.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$40.38 ₪124

-94.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$2.34 ₪7.16

-38.03%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$55.4K ₪169.7K

-61.99%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$55.3K ₪169.5K

-51.32%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$491 ₪1,503

-87.33%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$12.42 ₪38.05

-2.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$46.15 ₪141

-56.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$69.8 ₪214

-46.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$14.35 ₪43.95

-54.77%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$1,137 ₪3,483

-35.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$24.2K ₪74.2K

-39.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$74.0 ₪227

-27.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$40.67 ₪125

-39.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$141 ₪431

-34.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$151 ₪463

-52.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,626 ₪4,979

-70.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,097 ₪3,360

-71.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$2,514 ₪7,700

-59.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$2,038 ₪6,242

-68.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$10.6K ₪32.6K

-77.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$8,131 ₪24.9K

-80.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.05

10.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Givatayim: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Givatayim

$1.1K 37.6% 255% $788

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Givatayim

$471 16.1% 101% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Givatayim

$183 6.3% 68.4% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Givatayim

$549 18.8% 482% $455

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Givatayim

$393 13.5% 407% $316

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Givatayim

$125 4.3% 104% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Givatayim

$99 3.4% 96% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,626 in Givatayim. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $65 in Givatayim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $471 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇱 Givatayim

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

11:29 11:29 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

62,546

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 ILS = 0.327 USD

1 ILS = 0.293 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, 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).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.06 ILS (1 ILS = 0.327 USD). 1 EUR = 3.41 ILS (1 ILS = 0.293 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Givatayim 6,520 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Givatayim

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 Givatayim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Givatayim costs about 212% 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 $4,376 in Givatayim. 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 $1,626 in Givatayim.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,137 in Givatayim. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 101% more in Givatayim, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,917 in Givatayim. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 212% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.