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 $491 in Qena, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $778 in Qena, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,064 in Qena, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 74% 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

$2.04 ฿68.2

$3.84 E£193

-46.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$15.69 E£789

19.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$5.90 E£297

33.22%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$1.65 E£83.2

23.03%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.35 E£17.54

128.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.15 E£7.64

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$2.03 E£102

5.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$2.62 E£132

40.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$0.93 E£46.99

86.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.57 E£28.84

175.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$0.70 E£35.17

71.43%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$2.18 E£109

-9.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$3.55 E£179

357.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$6.53 E£329

-53.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$10.13 E£509

6.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$1.33 E£66.7

108.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$0.43 E£21.82

172.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$0.43 E£21.53

297.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$0.62 E£31.04

156.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$0.49 E£24.85

183.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$0.57 E£28.71

103.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.30 E£15.11

120.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.18 E£9.04

188.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$2.02 E£101

130.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$7.38 E£371

140.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.20 E£60.6

49.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$1.77 E£88.9

88.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.21 E£10.32

333.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$0.42 E£21.00

235.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$0.15 E£7.55

793.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$1.97 E£99.0

311.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$0.33 E£16.54

272.73%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$17.4K E£874.0K

23.36%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$33.0K E£1.7M

-33.87%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$25.92 E£1,304

175.19%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$6.45 E£324

117.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$12.50 E£629

43.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$21.89 E£1,101

86.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$3.50 E£176

63.43%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$97.9 E£4,924

214.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$590 E£29.7K

2388.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$11.18 E£563

398.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$19.37 E£974

34.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$107 E£5,393

-20.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$50.4 E£2,537

40.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$190 E£9,547

122.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$101 E£5,099

139.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$312 E£15.7K

155.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$179 E£8,981

183.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$842 E£42.3K

127.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$437 E£22.0K

234.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Qena: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Chiang Mai versus $190 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: $244 vs $145 – 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 74% 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 $1,279 per month in Chiang Mai and $737 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 $491 in Qena, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Qena costs $491 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.