Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Les Escaldes

For one person, living is cheaper in Les Escaldes: $358 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Les Escaldes
Learn more

Les Escaldes Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Les Escaldes

🇦🇩 Andorra

$358

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Les Escaldes

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 Les Escaldes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $358 in Les Escaldes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Les Escaldes $358

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,794 in Les Escaldes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Les Escaldes $1,794

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,230 in Les Escaldes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Les Escaldes $3,230

Chiang Mai costs about 162% more than Les Escaldes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Les Escaldes are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Les Escaldes 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$14.70 €13.08

-84.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$38.84 €34.55

-50.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$13.30 €11.83

-57.97%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.54 €2.26

-32.28%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.53 €2.25

-74.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$1.69 €1.50

-80.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.99 €2.66

-21.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$3.16 €2.81

23.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$2.14 €1.90

-4.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$4.32 €3.85

-47.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$17.05 €15.16

-45.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.96 €3.52

-39.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$5.49 €4.89

-21.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$6.60 €5.87

168.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$2.27 €2.02

-62.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.82 €1.62

-20.33%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$12.27 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$2,802 €2,493

-67.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$2,246 €1,998

-75.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$11.1K €9,900

-87.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$2,608 €2,319

-77.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Les Escaldes: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Les Escaldes

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Les Escaldes

$123 * 34.3% 48.4% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Les Escaldes

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Les Escaldes

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Les Escaldes

$226 63.2% 186% $147

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Les Escaldes

$9.1 * 2.5% 85.2% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Les Escaldes

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 338% higher in Les Escaldes, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $39.00 in Les Escaldes. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $123 in Les Escaldes – so Les Escaldes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇦🇩 Les Escaldes

🕒 Local time

19:01 7:01 PM

14:01 2:01 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

15,853

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Les Escaldes 9,200 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Les Escaldes

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 Les Escaldes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 162% more than Les Escaldes, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $537 in Les Escaldes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $938 in Chiang Mai and $358 in Les Escaldes. That's a gap of about 162%.

Groceries cost about 94% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Les Escaldes, where all-in costs run around $358, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Les Escaldes 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. Les Escaldes costs $358 versus $938 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 Les Escaldes. 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.