Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ramat Gan

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,000 in Ramat Gan, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Ramat Gan, Israel
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Ramat Gan
🇮🇱 Israel
$3,000
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ramat Gan

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,000 in Ramat Gan, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Ramat Gan $3,000

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,315 in Ramat Gan, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Ramat Gan $4,315

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,631 in Ramat Gan, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Ramat Gan $5,631

Chiang Mai is about 69% cheaper than Ramat Gan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Ramat Gan is 120% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Ramat Gan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$22.83 ₪71.6
-90.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$89.5 ₪281
-78.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$19.58 ₪61.4
-71.65%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$4.62 ₪14.50
-63.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.53
$3.47 ₪10.88
-81.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.30
$2.75 ₪8.61
-88.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.5
$9.94 ₪31.18
-76.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$10.17 ₪31.88
-64.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Ramat Gan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.7
$2.57 ₪8.05
-24.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.45
$3.21 ₪10.07
-55.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.01
$3.30 ₪10.35
-59.70%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.0
$4.69 ₪14.72
-51.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$13.12 ₪41.15
25.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.8
$19.13 ₪60.0
-85.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$26.43 ₪82.9
-64.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$4.27 ₪13.39
-44.96%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.78
$3.22 ₪10.11
-69.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$2.68 ₪8.41
-40.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$2.46 ₪7.71
-39.02%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.10
$1.85 ₪5.81
-30.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.17
$1.63 ₪5.12
-32.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.81
$1.97 ₪6.17
-63.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.36
$1.87 ₪5.86
-73.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$13.41 ₪42.05
-69.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$13.09 ₪41.06
33.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$4.45 ₪13.96
-63.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$4.20 ₪13.17
-33.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Ramat Gan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.29
$2.62 ₪8.22
-66.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,825
$105 ₪330
-48.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.03
$4.07 ₪12.78
-71.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.79
$1.28 ₪4.01
-58.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.7
$25.07 ₪78.6
-90.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.87
$2.51 ₪7.88
-42.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.3K
$56.2K ₪176.2K
-62.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿908.7K
$53.5K ₪167.8K
-49.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Ramat Gan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,097
$283 ₪886
-78.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿410
$12.37 ₪38.81
-1.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$41.57 ₪130
-51.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Ramat Gan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$69.2 ₪217
-46.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$25.79 ₪80.9
-85.38%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$15.03 ₪47.12
-56.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Ramat Gan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$1,416 ₪4,441
-48.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.0K
$28.4K ₪89.0K
-47.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Ramat Gan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,800
$103 ₪322
-47.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$63.8 ₪200
-61.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,086
$153 ₪479
-40.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,426
$159 ₪500
-54.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Ramat Gan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$1,647 ₪5,165
-70.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$1,367 ₪4,286
-77.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$2,637 ₪8,270
-61.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$2,024 ₪6,347
-68.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.7K
$14.1K ₪44.2K
-83.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$9,901 ₪31.1K
-83.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Ramat Gan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$4,548 ₪14.3K
-87.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.99
11.62%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ramat Gan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Ramat Gan
$1.4K 342% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Ramat Gan
$464 97.9% $229
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Ramat Gan
$215 98.1% $107
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Ramat Gan
$337 256% $242
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Ramat Gan
$392 405% $314
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Ramat Gan
$126 106% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Ramat Gan
$99 97.4% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,647 in Ramat Gan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ramat Gan are about 7.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $90 in Ramat Gan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $464 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇮🇱 Ramat Gan
🕒 Local time
06:44 6:44 AM
01:44 1:44 AM
5 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
164,764
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.14 ILS (1 ILS = 0.319 USD). 1 EUR = 3.51 ILS (1 ILS = 0.285 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Ramat Gan 6,520 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Ramat Gan

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 Ramat Gan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Ramat Gan?
Ramat Gan costs about 221% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Ramat Gan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $4,500 in Ramat Gan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Ramat Gan?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,647 in Ramat Gan.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Ramat Gan?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,416 in Ramat Gan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Ramat Gan?
Groceries cost about 98% more in Ramat Gan, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Ramat Gan?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $3,000 in Ramat Gan. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or Ramat Gan?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $3,000 in Ramat Gan. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Ramat Gan?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Ramat Gan?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ramat Gan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

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