Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Saldus

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,120 in Saldus, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Saldus
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Saldus Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Saldus

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,120 in Saldus, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Saldus $1,120

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,714 in Saldus, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Saldus $1,714

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,309 in Saldus, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Saldus $2,309

Chiang Mai is about 16% cheaper than Saldus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Saldus are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Saldus 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$16.54 €14.69

-87.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$68.4 €60.7

-72.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$9.45 €8.40

-40.74%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.76 €3.34

-55.85%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$1.64 €1.46

-60.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$1.16 €1.03

-74.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$5.68 €5.04

-59.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$5.18 €4.60

-29.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.17 €1.04

72.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$1.43 €1.27

-1.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$2.44 €2.17

-43.03%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$3.68 €3.27

-35.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$10.54 €9.36

56.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$8.45 €7.50

-68.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$13.64 €12.11

-33.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$2.13 €1.89

12.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$1.73 €1.54

-39.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$2.47 €2.20

-32.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$3.14 €2.79

-50.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$0.87 €0.78

42.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$0.95 €0.84

14.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$1.73 €1.54

-56.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.91 €0.81

-43.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$6.78 €6.02

-39.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$8.03 €7.13

123.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$1.98 €1.76

-18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$2.09 €1.86

34.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$3.43 €3.05

-65.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$1.00 €0.89

-83.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$17.57 €15.61

-89.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$2.01 €1.79

-26.87%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$26.9K €23.9K

-21.84%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$29.7K €26.4K

-10.80%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$377 €335

-83.40%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$19.68 €17.48

-41.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$20.05 €17.81

1.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$10.71 €9.52

-39.22%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$720 €640

0.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$18.2K €16.2K

-9.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$68.1 €60.5

-21.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$50.6 €44.98

-51.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$84.8 €75.3

6.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$136 €121

-47.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.77

16.77%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Saldus: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Saldus

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Saldus

$264 23.6% 11.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Saldus

$153 13.7% 41.2% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Saldus

$417 37.2% 341% $322

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Saldus

$256 22.8% 234% $179

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Saldus

$8.4 * 0.8% 85.6% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Saldus

$21 * 1.9% 57.9% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $68 in Saldus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $264 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇻 Saldus

🕒 Local time

23:58 11:58 PM

18:58 6:58 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

12,085

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 EUR = 1.13 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Saldus 7,450 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Saldus

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 Saldus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saldus costs about 20% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,679 in Saldus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $68 in Saldus. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Saldus, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,120 in Saldus. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,120 in Saldus. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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