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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $476 in Ilesha, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $811 in Ilesha, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,145 in Ilesha, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 90% more than Ilesha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Ilesha are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Ilesha 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$3.72 ₦4,932

-42.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿651

$50.2 ₦66.5K

-61.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿184

$7.62 ₦10.1K

-28.22%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.6

$2.81 ₦3,716

-40.21%

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

$0.66 ฿22.17

$0.42 ₦552

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.55

$0.23 ₦303

47.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.3

$1.02 ₦1,346

137.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

$1.97 ₦2,602

89.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿69.1

$3.09 ₦4,086

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.93

$1.48 ₦1,960

-1.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.22

$1.26 ₦1,673

7.14%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.2

$2.22 ₦2,942

2.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿548

$3.61 ₦4,783

351.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.6

$3.83 ₦5,067

-29.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿309

$4.43 ₦5,861

107.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.4

$1.72 ₦2,278

38.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.76

$1.25 ₦1,655

-16.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.11 ₦1,468

44.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.33 ₦1,754

8.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.72

$1.33 ₦1,761

-2.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.40

$1.32 ₦1,747

-15.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.62

$0.84 ₦1,112

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.04

$0.37 ₦489

37.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿139

$0.58 ₦771

612.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿597

$2.58 ₦3,411

589.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.9

$0.50 ₦656

226.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.3

$0.49 ₦650

485.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.94

$0.70 ₦930

74.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.87

$0.94 ₦1,241

-40.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.7

$2.15 ₦2,842

7.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.3

$0.82 ₦1,090

82.93%

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

$20.9K ฿700.4K

$11.2K ₦14.8M

86.28%

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

$26.7K ฿897.7K

$13.7K ₦18.1M

95.68%

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

$61.3 ฿2,057

$114 ₦151.5K

-46.45%

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

$12.50 ฿420

$16.33 ₦21.6K

-23.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿684

$33.00 ₦43.7K

-38.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,274

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿222

$4.85 ₦6,419

36.08%

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

$774 ฿26.0K

$669 ₦885.3K

15.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿484.7K

$19.8K ₦26.2M

-26.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,840

$14.48 ₦19.2K

278.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿848

$18.40 ₦24.4K

37.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,041

$37.07 ₦49.1K

144.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,460

$48.25 ₦63.9K

51.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,865

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

18.05

-69.14%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ilesha: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $50.0 in Ilesha. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Chiang Mai vs $153 in Ilesha – so Ilesha 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 Ilesha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 90% more than Ilesha, 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 $1,359 per month in Chiang Mai and $714 in Ilesha. 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 $50.0 in Ilesha. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% 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.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ilesha, where all-in costs run around $476, than in Chiang Mai at $906. In Ilesha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ilesha costs $476 versus $906 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 Ilesha. 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.