Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Qena Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Qena

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $493 in Qena, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Chiang Mai vs $772 in Qena, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,052 in Qena, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 73% more than Qena, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Qena are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Qena 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$3.93 E£209

-50.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$15.55 E£824

20.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$6.08 E£322

30.26%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$1.62 E£85.8

17.90%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.35 E£18.47

140.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.14 E£7.66

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$2.02 E£107

9.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$2.64 E£140

43.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.00 E£53.2

64.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.58 E£30.64

179.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.71 E£37.54

66.20%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$2.08 E£110

-3.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$3.40 E£180

367.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$6.43 E£341

-53.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

$9.82 E£520

9.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$1.34 E£70.8

94.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$0.43 E£22.93

183.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$0.42 E£22.48

304.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$0.62 E£32.70

154.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.49 E£26.19

169.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$0.54 E£28.51

116.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.30 E£15.97

123.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.20 E£10.64

180.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$1.93 E£102

134.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$7.46 E£396

143.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.20 E£63.8

52.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.83 E£97.2

76.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.21 E£10.90

323.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$0.39 E£20.57

246.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.14 E£7.58

864.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$2.01 E£106

310.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$0.35 E£18.76

262.86%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$17.7K E£937.2K

19.66%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$32.9K E£1.7M

-31.66%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$25.92 E£1,374

170.64%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$6.56 E£348

109.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$12.70 E£673

38.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$22.24 E£1,179

86.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$3.38 E£179

71.01%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$100 E£5,308

205.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$595 E£31.5K

2391.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$11.35 E£602

379.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$19.58 E£1,038

33.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$107 E£5,666

-20.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$50.4 E£2,669

37.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$192 E£10.2K

120.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$97.7 E£5,176

143.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$305 E£16.1K

170.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$181 E£9,600

184.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$667 E£35.4K

207.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$368 E£19.5K

314.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-50.00%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Qena: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Chiang Mai versus $192 in Qena. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Qena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $144 – making Qena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Qena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 73% more than Qena, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,278 per month in Chiang Mai and $739 in Qena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $16.00 in Qena. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 69% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $493 in Qena, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Qena costs $493 versus $852 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 Qena. 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.