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 $1,835 per month in Cortona vs $932 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,798 per month in Cortona vs $1,399 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,761 per month in Cortona vs $1,866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cortona costs about 97% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cortona sits 34% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.72 €18.05

$2.08 ฿69.2

896.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.5 €71.0

$19.61 ฿652

315.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 €10.08

$5.67 ฿189

104.06%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.78

$1.81 ฿60.0

13.26%

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

$3.47 €3.03

$0.77 ฿25.55

350.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.35 ฿11.48

325.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.06

$2.21 ฿73.6

214.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 €4.27

$3.79 ฿126

29.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.05 ฿68.1

-14.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.89

$1.51 ฿50.4

43.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 €2.90

$1.40 ฿46.51

137.86%

Eggs

$5.60 €4.88

$2.26 ฿75.1

147.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.45 €24.78

$16.19 ฿538

75.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.56 €14.42

$2.90 ฿96.3

471.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.78 €22.46

$9.42 ฿313

173.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 €2.74

$2.68 ฿89.1

17.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.91

$1.09 ฿36.23

100.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 €2.99

$1.62 ฿53.8

112.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 €2.90

$1.46 ฿48.55

128.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 €2.82

$1.28 ฿42.48

152.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.95

$1.06 ฿35.17

111.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.69

$0.72 ฿23.85

169.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.79

$0.53 ฿17.49

71.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.24 €7.18

$4.23 ฿141

94.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 €7.48

$18.29 ฿608

-53.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 €2.25

$1.63 ฿54.2

58.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 €3.52

$2.90 ฿96.5

39.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.20

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,788

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.84 €5.09

$1.17 ฿38.99

399.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.00

$0.58 ฿19.22

296.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.26 €10.68

$2.39 ฿79.3

412.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.45 ฿48.22

41.38%

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

$37.4K €32.6K

$21.0K ฿698.6K

77.96%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$26.4K ฿878.6K

37.74%

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

$351 €306

$63.7 ฿2,116

451.88%

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

$12.57 €10.95

$12.89 ฿429

-2.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.08 €38.40

$20.52 ฿682

114.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.57 €24.89

$39.02 ฿1,297

-26.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.77 €10.26

$3.92 ฿130

200.26%

Cinema Ticket

$11.48 €10.00

$6.58 ฿219

74.47%

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

$659 €574

$784 ฿26.1K

-15.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,143 €7,966

$14.7K ฿487.9K

-37.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.6

$55.1 ฿1,833

86.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.3 €68.2

$24.74 ฿823

216.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 €79.0

$94.1 ฿3,130

-3.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 €176

$74.0 ฿2,459

172.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 €763

$490 ฿16.3K

78.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 €369

$288 ฿9,582

46.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 €1,338

$891 ฿29.6K

72.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 €550

$521 ฿17.3K

21.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,361 €2,057

$1,974 ฿65.6K

19.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,892 €2,519

$1,444 ฿48.0K

100.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,279 €2,856

$602 ฿20.0K

445.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.7

5.57

-33.57%

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

Last update for Cortona: September 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $875 in Cortona versus $490 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 445% 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 $82.0 in Cortona versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $241 – 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 97% 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 $2,752 per month in Cortona and $1,398 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Cortona and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 87% 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 $932, than in Cortona at $1,835. 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 $932 versus $1,835 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.