Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chios and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,445 in Chios, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Chios
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Chios Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chios

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,445

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chios and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,445 per month in Chios vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chios $1,445
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,157 per month in Chios vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chios $2,157
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,868 per month in Chios vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chios $2,868
Chiang Mai $1,903

Chios costs about 56% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chios sits 7% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.18 €12.61

$2.29 ฿76.5

519.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.61 €39.68

$19.64 ฿656

127.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.71 €12.19

$5.61 ฿188

144.39%

Cappuccino

$3.64 €3.24

$1.66 ฿55.6

119.28%

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

$2.44 €2.17

$0.70 ฿23.40

248.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$0.31 ฿10.24

209.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.39 €3.91

$2.41 ฿80.4

82.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 €3.95

$3.71 ฿124

19.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.95 ฿65.3

-21.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.41 ฿47.03

-2.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.36

$1.31 ฿43.62

103.05%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.22

$2.18 ฿72.9

117.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €12.01

$16.65 ฿556

-18.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.44

$2.76 ฿92.2

243.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 €12.76

$9.11 ฿304

57.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.39 ฿80.0

-9.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.03 ฿34.26

97.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.63 ฿54.4

-15.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$1.50 ฿50.0

32.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.29 ฿43.13

-12.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.11 ฿37.03

4.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.72 ฿24.08

45.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.76

$0.53 ฿17.59

60.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.85

$4.31 ฿144

26.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 €6.10

$17.95 ฿600

-61.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.58 ฿52.9

25.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.32

$2.84 ฿95.0

-8.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.86 ฿28.86

51.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.15 €40.16

$53.3 ฿1,780

-15.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 €3.82

$1.21 ฿40.29

255.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 €1.01

$0.57 ฿18.99

98.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.04 €14.26

$2.35 ฿78.6

582.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.44 ฿47.96

50.69%

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

$27.5K €24.5K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

32.65%

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

$25.2K €22.4K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-6.01%

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

$202 €179

$62.3 ฿2,083

223.49%

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

$23.34 €20.76

$12.11 ฿405

92.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.50 €27.13

$19.94 ฿666

52.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €45.77

$37.07 ฿1,239

38.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 €22.15

$3.78 ฿126

558.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 €8.01

$6.50 ฿217

38.62%

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

$426 €379

$793 ฿26.5K

-46.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,589 €6,750

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-48.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 €80.3

$53.7 ฿1,796

68.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.86 €35.45

$24.62 ฿823

61.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 €79.4

$90.9 ฿3,036

-1.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$71.1 ฿2,378

67.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 €435

$455 ฿15.2K

7.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 €345

$298 ฿9,954

30.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$758 €674

$908 ฿30.4K

-16.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 €538

$554 ฿18.5K

9.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,645 €2,352

$1,931 ฿64.5K

36.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,230 €1,984

$1,445 ฿48.3K

54.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

5.57

-19.93%

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

Last update for Chios: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chios

$388 26.8%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 23.2% $90

Groceries & Markets

Chios

$277 19.2%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 15.1% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chios

$255 17.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 63.1% $161

Eating Out

Chios

$243 16.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 67.6% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Chios

$152 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 29% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chios

$69 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 27.9% $19

Getting Around

Chios

$60 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 0.8% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in Chios versus $455 in Chiang Mai. 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 $45.00 in Chios versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Chios

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

21:23 9:23 PM

4 h ahead of Chios

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,408

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chios Chiang Mai 7,260 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chios
Chiang Mai

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

Chios vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chios costs about 56% 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 $2,168 per month in Chios and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $426 per month in Chios and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Chios, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Chios at $1,445. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chios it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,445 in Chios. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chios makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.