Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Intag Valley

For one person, living is cheaper in Intag Valley: $884 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $610 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Intag Valley
Learn more

Intag Valley Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Intag Valley

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$884

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Intag Valley

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Intag Valley actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $884 in Intag Valley, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Intag Valley $884

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,338 in Intag Valley, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Intag Valley $1,338

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,791 in Intag Valley, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Intag Valley $1,791

Chiang Mai costs about 6% more than Intag Valley, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Intag Valley are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Intag Valley 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.9

$3.48 $3.48

-38.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$27.92 $27.92

-33.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$7.24 $7.24

-22.65%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.42 $2.42

-31.40%

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

$0.65 ฿21.80

$0.91 $0.91

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.28

$0.66 $0.66

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$1.97 $1.97

17.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$3.58 $3.58

2.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.9

$1.10 $1.10

83.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.45

$1.70 $1.70

-17.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.90

$1.50 $1.50

-7.33%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.8

$2.17 $2.17

9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$5.54 $5.54

198.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.0

$5.56 $5.56

-51.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$6.16 $6.16

46.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.8

$2.01 $2.01

19.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.09

$1.18 $1.18

-11.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.06 $1.06

56.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.5

$1.08 $1.08

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.71

$1.39 $1.39

-10.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.62

$1.06 $1.06

2.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.67

$0.52 $0.52

46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.33

$0.99 $0.99

-48.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$6.17 $6.17

-33.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿604

$10.11 $10.11

77.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.7

$1.53 $1.53

5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.1

$2.44 $2.44

15.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.49

$0.33 $0.33

181.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,782

$24.31 $24.31

117.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.65

$1.49 $1.49

-20.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$0.97 $0.97

-82.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$10.12 $10.12

-82.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.63

$0.62 $0.62

137.10%

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

$21.0K ฿708.1K

$25.0K $25.0K

-15.90%

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

$26.5K ฿893.6K

$28.8K $28.8K

-7.93%

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

$62.6 ฿2,108

$39.81 $39.81

57.15%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$13.79 $13.79

-15.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿684

$30.49 $30.49

-33.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,277

$30.31 $30.31

24.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$14.74 $14.74

-74.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$7.20 $7.20

-9.58%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$255 $255

185.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿558.5K

$5,686 $5,686

191.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,804

$56.2 $56.2

-4.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$43.15 $43.15

-42.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,046

$99.7 $99.7

-9.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,425

$74.2 $74.2

-2.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$348 $348

38.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$313 $313

-1.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$619 $619

71.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$499 $499

32.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$1,221 $1,221

98.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.2K

$995 $995

61.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Intag Valley: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Intag Valley

$313 35.4% 1.1% $3.4

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Intag Valley

$185 21% 21.7% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Intag Valley

$123 13.9% 13.5% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Intag Valley

$84 9.5% 11% $10

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Intag Valley

$102 11.5% 33.1% $25

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Intag Valley

$32 3.6% 45.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Intag Valley

$45 5.1% 12.1% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $348 in Intag Valley. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $28 in Intag Valley. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $185 in Intag Valley – so Intag Valley wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇨 Intag Valley

🕒 Local time

19:38 7:38 PM

07:38 7:38 AM

12 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

15,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Intag Valley 17,870 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Intag Valley

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Intag Valley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 6% more than Intag Valley, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,326 in Intag Valley. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Intag Valley, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $348 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $255 in Intag Valley. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $884 in Intag Valley, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Intag Valley costs $884 versus $935 in Chiang Mai. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.