Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ife Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ife

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $731 in Ife, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,181 in Ife, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,630 in Ife, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Ife, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Ife are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Ife 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$2.69 ₦3,665

-27.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$34.99 ₦47.7K

-46.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$5.44 ₦7,407

43.75%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$0.81 ₦1,100

140.74%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.50 ₦680

70.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.28 ₦383

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$0.99 ₦1,344

115.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$1.15 ₦1,560

224.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.67 ₦913

143.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$1.79 ₦2,434

-36.31%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$2.27 ₦3,086

-14.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$4.57 ₦6,218

254.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$5.27 ₦7,182

-40.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$4.09 ₦5,571

166.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$5.83 ₦7,938

-52.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$0.97 ₦1,315

44.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$1.15 ₦1,572

1.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$2.14 ₦2,914

771.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.34 ₦458

164.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$0.38 ₦515

234.21%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$29.72 ₦40.5K

132.40%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$6.07 ₦8,268

131.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$46.25 ₦63.0K

-61.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$23.20 ₦31.6K

76.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$4.62 ₦6,286

28.14%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$46.50 ₦63.3K

543.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$416 ₦566.5K

3494.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$23.29 ₦31.7K

134.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$34.71 ₦47.3K

-22.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$59.4 ₦80.9K

43.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$71.6 ₦97.5K

-1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$586 ₦798.1K

-26.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$348 ₦473.4K

-31.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$1,182 ₦1.6M

-32.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$688 ₦937.4K

-25.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$50.7 ₦69.1K

1117.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ife: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $586 in Ife. 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 1118% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $35.00 in Ife. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Chiang Mai vs $114 in Ife – so Ife wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Ife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Ife, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,096 in Ife. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

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

Groceries cost about 116% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $731 in Ife, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ife costs $731 versus $866 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 Ife. 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.