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 $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $724 in Ife, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,173 in Ife, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,623 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 36% lower, Ife 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.9

$2.80 ₦3,854

-30.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$35.41 ₦48.8K

-48.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$5.21 ₦7,175

43.57%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$0.86 ₦1,179

134.88%

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

$0.85 ฿28.52

$0.46 ₦640

84.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.97

$0.26 ₦355

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$0.97 ₦1,332

120.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$1.19 ₦1,634

201.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.69 ₦951

127.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.05

$1.79 ₦2,463

-33.52%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$2.37 ₦3,264

-18.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿545

$4.76 ₦6,554

240.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$5.13 ₦7,074

-41.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$4.16 ₦5,737

162.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$5.91 ₦8,151

-54.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.27

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.97 ₦1,339

42.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.47

$1.19 ₦1,646

0.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.51

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.74

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$2.11 ₦2,904

735.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

$0.36 ₦500

144.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.92

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.20

$0.38 ₦521

221.05%

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

$21.4K ฿718.5K

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

$22.5K ฿758.1K

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

$70.7 ฿2,378

$30.59 ₦42.2K

131.02%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$6.08 ₦8,382

130.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿589

$46.14 ₦63.6K

-62.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

$23.57 ₦32.5K

78.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$4.81 ₦6,629

23.08%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$47.09 ₦64.9K

555.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.7K

$424 ₦584.1K

3410.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,876

$23.29 ₦32.1K

139.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿879

$35.76 ₦49.3K

-26.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,793

$59.1 ₦81.5K

40.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,371

$70.7 ₦97.4K

-0.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$597 ₦822.1K

-27.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

$349 ₦480.6K

-31.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$1,181 ₦1.6M

-30.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$708 ₦975.0K

-27.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$49.87 ₦68.7K

1061.76%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ife: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $597 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 1062% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $35.00 in Ife. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $115 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,086 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 $18.00 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 112% 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 $861 in Chiang Mai and $724 in Ife, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ife costs $724 versus $861 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.