Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Manisa

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Manisa: $938 and $963 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Manisa
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Manisa Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Manisa

🇹🇷 Turkey

$963

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Manisa

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $963 in Manisa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Manisa $963

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,527 in Manisa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Manisa $1,527

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,092 in Manisa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Manisa $2,092

Chiang Mai is about 3% cheaper than Manisa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Manisa are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Manisa 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$7.94 ₺393

-71.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$26.27 ₺1,300

-26.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$7.75 ₺384

-27.87%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.97 ₺147

-42.09%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.99 ₺49.25

-35.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.26 ₺12.97

26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.29 ₺113

3.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$3.33 ₺165

17.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.94 ₺46.71

118.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.78 ₺38.65

79.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$2.40 ₺119

-46.67%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.75 ₺86.9

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$7.02 ₺348

141.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$3.89 ₺193

-29.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$19.19 ₺950

-51.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.87 ₺92.5

28.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.68 ₺83.2

-39.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.23 ₺61.0

30.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.09 ₺53.9

39.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.46 ₺22.92

178.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.41 ₺20.11

170.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.81 ₺40.18

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.67 ₺33.07

-22.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$1.65 ₺81.7

162.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$10.54 ₺522

68.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.26 ₺112

-27.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.98 ₺98.0

43.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.59 ₺29.37

44.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$42.07 ₺2,083

28.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$2.60 ₺129

-55.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.58 ₺28.83

-1.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$5.16 ₺255

-54.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.28 ₺63.2

13.28%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$40.9K ₺2.0M

-49.94%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$38.4K ₺1.9M

-31.02%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$81.9 ₺4,053

-23.87%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$14.48 ₺717

-15.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$8.01 ₺396

149.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$65.9 ₺3,262

-42.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$32.44 ₺1,606

-88.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$3.94 ₺195

70.30%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$376 ₺18.6K

112.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$7,995 ₺395.8K

85.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$36.42 ₺1,803

46.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$26.48 ₺1,311

-5.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$52.9 ₺2,620

73.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$59.8 ₺2,960

22.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$507 ₺25.1K

-8.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$299 ₺14.8K

2.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-9.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$608 ₺30.1K

-9.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,810 ₺89.6K

5.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,212 ₺60.0K

18.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$1,660 ₺82.2K

-64.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

43.33

-87.15%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Manisa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Manisa

$299 31% 2% $6.2

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Manisa

$212 22% 11.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Manisa

$79 8.2% 27.8% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Manisa

$104 10.8% 10.3% $9.8

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Manisa

$146 15.1% 84.3% $67

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Manisa

$50 5.2% 18.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Manisa

$74 7.7% 43.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $507 in Manisa. 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 179% higher in Manisa, 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 $26.00 in Manisa. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $212 in Manisa – so Manisa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇷 Manisa

🕒 Local time

19:39 7:39 PM

15:39 3:39 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,396,945

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Manisa 7,140 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Manisa

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 Manisa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manisa costs about 3% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,444 in Manisa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $376 in Manisa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Manisa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Manisa at $963. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manisa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $963 in Manisa. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manisa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.