Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Pec

For one person, living is cheaper in Pec: $669 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Pec
Learn more

Pec Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Pec

🇽🇰 Kosovo

$669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $669 in Pec, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Pec $669

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,085 in Pec, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Pec $1,085

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,501 in Pec, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Pec $1,501

Chiang Mai costs about 40% more than Pec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Pec are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Pec 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$5.50 €4.93

-59.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$22.40 €20.06

-15.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.56 €4.09

21.71%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.31 €1.17

27.48%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.59 €1.42

-59.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.07 €0.96

-71.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.99 €1.78

18.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.85 €2.55

28.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.31 €1.17

48.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.67 €0.60

114.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.33 €1.19

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.83 €1.64

24.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$7.96 €7.13

106.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$6.78 €6.07

-59.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$12.42 €11.12

-25.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.44 €1.29

63.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.42 €1.27

-31.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.10 €0.98

45.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.65 €1.48

-9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.92 €0.82

39.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.86 €0.77

27.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.84 €0.76

-15.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.50 €0.44

-2.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.84 €2.55

45.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$5.48 €4.91

219.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.91 €0.82

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.20 €1.08

131.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$2.18 €1.95

-46.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.57 €0.51

-7.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$3.30 €2.95

-26.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.47 €1.32

-1.36%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$22.2K €19.8K

-4.97%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$25.6K €22.9K

5.18%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$103 €92.6

-39.90%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$11.13 €9.96

9.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$23.36 €20.92

-13.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$22.69 €20.32

64.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$34.08 €30.52

-88.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.56 €4.08

42.32%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$151 €135

388.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$2,916 €2,611

406.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$43.60 €39.04

22.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$27.39 €24.53

-10.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$64.4 €57.6

42.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$81.5 €73.0

-11.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$166 €149

190.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$110 €98.2

181.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$338 €303

197.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$275 €246

130.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,239 €1,110

90.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,056 €946

50.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$467 €418

26.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.5

23.78%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pec: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Pec

$110 16.4% 64.5% $199

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Pec

$188 28% 20% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Pec

$98 14.6% 10.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Pec

$138 20.6% 46% $43

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Pec

$100 14.9% 28.5% $22

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Pec

$5 * 0.8% 91.8% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Pec

$32 4.8% 36.7% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $166 in Pec. 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 26% 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 in Chiang Mai versus $22 in Pec. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $188 in Pec – so Pec wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇽🇰 Pec

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

00:10 12:10 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

48,962

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Pec 7,700 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Pec

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 Pec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 40% more than Pec, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,004 in Pec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pec, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $166 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $22 in Pec. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Pec, where all-in costs run around $669, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Pec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pec – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Pec. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.