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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $869 per month in Chiang Mai vs $422 in Imbabah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,362 per month in Chiang Mai vs $686 in Imbabah, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,855 per month in Chiang Mai vs $950 in Imbabah, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 106% more than Imbabah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Imbabah are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Imbabah 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$3.62 E£185

-45.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$15.60 E£797

20.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$4.73 E£242

63.85%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$1.51 E£77.0

27.15%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.29 E£14.57

172.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.10 E£5.05

260.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.21 E£62.0

82.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.98 E£152

22.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$0.60 E£30.86

175.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.19 E£9.45

757.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$0.67 E£34.18

77.61%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$1.46 E£74.6

36.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$1.45 E£74.1

1002.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$3.14 E£160

-3.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

$6.84 E£349

58.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.43 E£73.0

93.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$0.51 E£26.05

131.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.39 E£19.73

320.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$0.22 E£11.28

590.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.41 E£20.72

236.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$0.41 E£20.86

190.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.11 E£5.80

536.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.19 E£9.95

194.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$1.74 E£89.1

163.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$1.93 E£98.7

758.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$1.33 E£68.0

37.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$1.93 E£98.6

65.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.19 E£9.66

363.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

$14.53 E£742

28.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$0.25 E£12.82

444.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$0.45 E£23.11

197.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$2.04 E£104

284.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$0.25 E£12.80

392.00%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$35.2K E£1.8M

-38.60%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$33.2K E£1.7M

-32.08%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$11.33 E£578

522.59%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$5.84 E£298

134.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$10.19 E£520

71.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$22.01 E£1,124

87.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$2.87 E£147

101.05%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$24.00 E£1,226

1179.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$974 E£49.7K

1400.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$15.78 E£806

253.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$19.89 E£1,016

31.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$111 E£5,650

-22.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$50.8 E£2,595

42.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$193 E£9,852

122.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$101 E£5,174

135.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$308 E£15.7K

165.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$177 E£9,034

188.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$785 E£40.1K

152.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$362 E£18.5K

310.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

$94.3 E£4,814

556.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-70.59%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Last update for Imbabah: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Chiang Mai versus $193 in Imbabah. 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 556% 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 $16.00 in Imbabah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $89.0 – making Imbabah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Imbabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 106% more than Imbabah, 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 $633 in Imbabah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $307 per month in Chiang Mai and $24.00 in Imbabah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 171% 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 $869 in Chiang Mai and $422 in Imbabah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Imbabah costs $422 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 Imbabah. 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.