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 $869 per month in Chiang Mai vs $446 in Ilesha, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,362 per month in Chiang Mai vs $796 in Ilesha, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,855 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,146 in Ilesha, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 95% more than Ilesha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Ilesha are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Ilesha 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$2.57 ₦3,493

-22.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$50.5 ₦68.7K

-62.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$5.20 ₦7,066

49.04%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$2.13 ₦2,892

-9.86%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.33 ₦454

139.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.20 ₦272

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$0.78 ₦1,061

183.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.37 ₦1,861

167.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$2.26 ₦3,076

-26.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$1.25 ₦1,704

30.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$2.26 ₦3,067

-47.35%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$1.72 ₦2,334

16.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$6.31 ₦8,581

153.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$4.20 ₦5,707

-27.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

$5.28 ₦7,177

105.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$3.47 ₦4,723

-20.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$2.06 ₦2,800

-42.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$2.17 ₦2,952

-24.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$2.31 ₦3,143

-34.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$2.32 ₦3,151

-40.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$1.92 ₦2,613

-38.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$1.99 ₦2,711

-64.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.35 ₦481

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$1.25 ₦1,706

266.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$2.62 ₦3,562

532.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$0.63 ₦858

190.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$0.93 ₦1,260

244.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$1.20 ₦1,628

13.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$2.26 ₦3,079

-40.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$4.58 ₦6,223

71.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$0.79 ₦1,070

55.70%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$20.6K ₦28.0M

5.13%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$20.2K ₦27.4M

11.84%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$40.76 ₦55.4K

73.06%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$10.05 ₦13.7K

36.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$34.50 ₦46.9K

-49.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$6.16 ₦8,371

-6.33%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$81.8 ₦111.2K

275.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$2,342 ₦3.2M

523.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$19.18 ₦26.1K

190.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$24.87 ₦33.8K

5.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$64.6 ₦87.9K

32.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$57.0 ₦77.4K

26.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

-69.38%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ilesha: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $51.0 in Ilesha. Groceries tell a different story – $241 in Chiang Mai vs $190 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 95% 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 $1,303 per month in Chiang Mai and $669 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 $51.0 in Ilesha. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $869 in Chiang Mai and $446 in Ilesha, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ilesha costs $446 versus $869 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.