Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tukums

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,164 in Tukums, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Tukums
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Tukums Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Tukums

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,164

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,164 in Tukums, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Tukums $1,164

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,643 in Tukums, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Tukums $1,643

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,121 in Tukums, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Tukums $2,121

Chiang Mai is about 20% cheaper than Tukums, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Tukums are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Tukums 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$5.43 €4.88

-58.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$21.97 €19.74

-13.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$9.48 €8.52

-41.46%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.62 €3.25

-53.87%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.57 €1.41

-59.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.15 €1.04

-73.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$5.76 €5.17

-59.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.97 €4.47

-26.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.09 €0.98

78.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.49 €1.34

-3.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.54 €2.28

-47.64%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.03 €1.83

12.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$9.05 €8.13

81.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.72 €6.04

-58.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$13.73 €12.33

-32.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.06 €1.85

14.08%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.82 €1.64

-46.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.48 €2.23

-35.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$3.27 €2.94

-54.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.63 €0.57

103.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.95 €0.85

15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.67 €1.50

-57.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.58 €0.52

-15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.58 €5.91

-37.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$7.70 €6.91

127.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.17 €1.05

37.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.06 €1.85

34.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.14 €1.02

-23.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$3.39 €3.05

-65.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.04 €0.93

-49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$17.74 €15.93

-86.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.91 €1.72

-24.08%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$27.1K €24.3K

-22.25%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$29.7K €26.7K

-9.20%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$282 €253

-77.93%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$16.46 €14.79

-26.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$19.64 €17.64

2.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$35.32 €31.73

5.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$10.55 €9.47

-38.48%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$720 €647

2.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$18.2K €16.4K

-19.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$69.7 €62.6

-23.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$51.1 €45.92

-51.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$78.0 €70.0

17.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$140 €125

-48.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$225 €202

114.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$223 €201

38.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$332 €298

203.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$332 €299

90.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$550 €494

7.29%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tukums: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Tukums

$223 19.2% 27.7% $86

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Tukums

$236 20.3% 0.9% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Tukums

$152 13.1% 40.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Tukums

$318 27.3% 237% $223

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Tukums

$165 14.2% 113% $87

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Tukums

$13 * 1.1% 78.6% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Tukums

$56 4.8% 12.2% $6.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $225 in Tukums. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $22 in Tukums. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $236 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇻 Tukums

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

20:04 8:04 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

19,729

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Tukums 7,410 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tukums

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 Tukums: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tukums costs about 24% 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 $1,747 in Tukums. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tukums, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $225 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,164 in Tukums. That’s a gap of about 24%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $22 in Tukums. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,164 in Tukums. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,164 in Tukums. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.