Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Montalto Dora

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,738 in Montalto Dora, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Montalto Dora
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Montalto Dora Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Montalto Dora

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Montalto Dora

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,738 in Montalto Dora, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Montalto Dora $1,738

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,558 in Montalto Dora, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Montalto Dora $2,558

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,377 in Montalto Dora, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Montalto Dora $3,377

Chiang Mai is about 46% cheaper than Montalto Dora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Montalto Dora is 28% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$5.71 €5.13

-60.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$72.1 €64.7

-73.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$8.90 €8.00

-37.64%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.36 €2.12

-29.24%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$3.37 €3.03

-81.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.62 €1.45

-80.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$5.73 €5.15

-58.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.13 €5.51

-40.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.46 €1.31

33.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$2.79 €2.51

-48.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.71 €2.43

-50.92%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$4.42 €3.97

-48.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$18.48 €16.60

-10.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$12.64 €11.36

-78.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$17.29 €15.53

-46.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.16 €1.94

8.80%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.68 €1.51

-42.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.92 €1.73

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$2.48 €2.23

-39.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.35 €1.21

-5.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.30 €1.17

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.65 €1.48

-56.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.55 €0.49

-10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.54 €5.87

-36.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$7.92 €7.12

121.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.56 €1.40

3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.86 €1.67

49.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.87 €1.68

-53.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$45.61 €40.98

18.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$5.57 €5.01

-79.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.47 €1.32

-63.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$28.13 €25.27

-91.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$2.00 €1.80

-27.50%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$35.2K €31.6K

-40.14%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$38.5K €34.6K

-30.05%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$239 €215

-74.01%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$11.67 €10.49

4.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$27.25 €24.48

-26.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$53.7 €48.24

-30.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$27.01 €24.27

-86.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$12.42 €11.16

-47.75%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$423 €380

73.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$4,545 €4,084

224.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$89.7 €80.6

-40.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$42.56 €38.24

-42.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$95.3 €85.7

-4.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$167 €150

-56.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$645 €579

-25.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$647 €581

-52.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,281 €1,151

-21.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$933 €838

-32.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,521 €2,265

-6.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$2,096 €1,884

-24.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.46

60.98%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Montalto Dora: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Montalto Dora

$647 37.2% 109% $338

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Montalto Dora

$330 19% 40.7% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Montalto Dora

$177 10.2% 63.2% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Montalto Dora

$278 16% 195% $184

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Montalto Dora

$162 9.3% 108% $84

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Montalto Dora

$66 3.8% 7.6% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Montalto Dora

$79 4.5% 56.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $645 in Montalto Dora. 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 $72 in Montalto Dora. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $330 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇹 Montalto Dora

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

12:08 12:08 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,300

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Montalto Dora 8,620 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Montalto Dora

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 Montalto Dora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montalto Dora costs about 86% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $2,607 in Montalto Dora. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $645 in Montalto Dora.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $423 in Montalto Dora. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Montalto Dora, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,738 in Montalto Dora. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,738 in Montalto Dora. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.