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 $869 per month in Chiang Mai vs $482 in Qena, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,362 per month in Chiang Mai vs $784 in Qena, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,855 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,086 in Qena, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 80% more than Qena, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Qena are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Qena 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$3.91 E£200

-49.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$16.05 E£820

17.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$5.87 E£300

32.03%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$1.66 E£84.9

15.66%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.34 E£17.57

132.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.15 E£7.61

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.93 E£98.3

14.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.74 E£140

33.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$1.01 E£51.6

63.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.61 E£31.13

167.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$0.69 E£35.47

72.46%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$2.10 E£107

-4.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$3.60 E£184

343.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$6.52 E£333

-53.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

$10.15 E£518

7.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.37 E£69.8

101.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$0.47 E£24.07

151.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.42 E£21.64

290.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$0.58 E£29.40

162.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.50 E£25.54

176.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$0.57 E£29.32

108.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.30 E£15.51

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.18 E£9.37

211.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$1.92 E£98.2

138.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$7.63 E£390

117.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$1.27 E£64.8

44.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$1.81 E£92.6

76.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.18 E£9.24

388.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$0.41 E£21.00

231.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$0.13 E£6.61

930.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$2.03 E£104

286.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$0.35 E£17.93

251.43%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$17.9K E£915.4K

20.63%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$33.1K E£1.7M

-31.89%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$26.40 E£1,348

167.20%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$6.49 E£331

110.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$12.68 E£647

37.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$21.80 E£1,113

89.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$3.38 E£173

70.71%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$98.0 E£5,004

213.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$589 E£30.1K

2381.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$11.28 E£576

394.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$19.62 E£1,002

33.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$108 E£5,534

-20.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$49.93 E£2,550

44.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$190 E£9,721

125.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$98.8 E£5,045

141.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$308 E£15.7K

165.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$176 E£8,990

190.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$866 E£44.2K

128.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$458 E£23.4K

224.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Qena: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 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: $241 vs $147 – 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 80% 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 $1,303 per month in Chiang Mai and $723 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 64% 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 $869 in Chiang Mai and $482 in Qena, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Qena costs $482 versus $869 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.