Cost of Living Comparison Between Cortona and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Cortona and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,709 per month in Cortona vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,560 per month in Cortona vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,411 per month in Cortona vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cortona costs about 100% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cortona sits 28% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.92 €12.09

$2.04 ฿68.3

582.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 €65.3

$18.71 ฿625

301.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €10.08

$7.86 ฿262

47.58%

Cappuccino

$1.75 €1.52

$2.03 ฿67.8

-13.79%

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

$2.53 €2.20

$0.80 ฿26.67

216.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.10

$0.35 ฿11.69

260.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 €5.10

$2.14 ฿71.6

174.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 €4.41

$3.67 ฿123

38.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.47

$1.73 ฿57.7

-2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 €1.87

$1.57 ฿52.5

36.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 €2.70

$1.20 ฿40.04

159.17%

Eggs

$4.56 €3.96

$1.97 ฿65.9

131.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.35 €15.07

$16.23 ฿542

6.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.93 €10.37

$3.06 ฿102

289.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.44 €17.76

$10.80 ฿361

89.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.77 ฿92.5

-14.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €1.95

$1.17 ฿38.99

92.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.71 ฿57.0

17.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.32

$1.59 ฿53.2

67.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.39 ฿46.56

29.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.16 ฿38.61

59.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$0.66 ฿22.08

90.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.52 ฿17.33

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 €6.06

$4.65 ฿155

49.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.34 €8.99

$17.78 ฿594

-41.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.79 ฿59.7

2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.41

$3.34 ฿112

-16.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.91 ฿30.30

93.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.78 €37.17

$18.64 ฿623

129.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 €4.58

$1.41 ฿47.10

273.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.34 ฿44.76

5.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.09 €29.62

$8.11 ฿271

320.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.23 ฿41.21

56.91%

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

$28.8K €25.0K

$21.4K ฿715.9K

34.26%

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

$29.3K €25.4K

$21.8K ฿728.9K

34.13%

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

$219 €190

$71.3 ฿2,382

207.15%

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

$10.80 €9.38

$14.01 ฿468

-22.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.54 €26.54

$17.93 ฿599

70.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 €47.89

$40.82 ฿1,363

35.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.11 €20.08

$6.88 ฿230

235.90%

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 €10.12

$5.72 ฿191

103.67%

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

$288 €250

$308 ฿10.3K

-6.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,259

$14.7K ฿490.3K

-27.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 €65.1

$55.8 ฿1,863

34.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.38 €29.87

$26.04 ฿870

32.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 €74.1

$84.8 ฿2,833

0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €107

$71.0 ฿2,371

72.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 €663

$423 ฿14.1K

80.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 €510

$242 ฿8,098

142.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 €1,043

$797 ฿26.6K

50.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 €798

$507 ฿16.9K

81.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,360 €2,050

$1,918 ฿64.1K

23.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,846 €2,472

$1,464 ฿48.9K

94.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,224 €2,801

$595 ฿19.9K

441.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

-21.00%

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

Last update for Cortona: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $764 in Cortona versus $423 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.

Salaries run about 442% higher in Cortona, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Cortona versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $244 – making Chiang Mai 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

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

Cortona costs about 100% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $2,564 per month in Cortona and $1,279 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 $288 per month in Cortona and $308 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Cortona, 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 $852, than in Cortona at $1,709. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cortona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $1,709 in Cortona. 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, Cortona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.