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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,362 per month in Dabas vs $932 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,041 per month in Dabas vs $1,399 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,719 per month in Dabas vs $1,866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Dabas costs about 46% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Dabas sits 0% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.89 Ft 4,072

$2.08 ฿69.2

519.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.85 Ft 12.0K

$19.61 ฿652

93.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 Ft 2,925

$5.67 ฿189

63.32%

Cappuccino

$1.53 Ft 484

$1.81 ฿60.0

-15.47%

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

$1.41 Ft 445

$0.77 ฿25.55

83.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 Ft 143

$0.35 ฿11.48

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 Ft 576

$2.21 ฿73.6

-17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 Ft 503

$3.79 ฿126

-58.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 Ft 392

$2.05 ฿68.1

-39.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 Ft 507

$1.51 ฿50.4

5.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 Ft 791

$1.40 ฿46.51

78.57%

Eggs

$3.47 Ft 1,096

$2.26 ฿75.1

53.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 Ft 3,383

$16.19 ฿538

-33.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.04 Ft 2,225

$2.90 ฿96.3

142.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.43 Ft 5,190

$9.42 ฿313

74.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 Ft 777

$2.68 ฿89.1

-8.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 755

$1.09 ฿36.23

119.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 Ft 825

$1.62 ฿53.8

61.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 Ft 1,267

$1.46 ฿48.55

174.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 Ft 370

$1.28 ฿42.48

-8.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 Ft 459

$1.06 ฿35.17

36.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 Ft 604

$0.72 ฿23.85

165.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Ft 174

$0.53 ฿17.49

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.05 Ft 2,544

$4.23 ฿141

90.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.72 Ft 1,492

$18.29 ฿608

-74.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 Ft 441

$1.63 ฿54.2

-14.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 Ft 842

$2.90 ฿96.5

-8.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 Ft 416

$0.88 ฿29.20

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.57 Ft 9,027

$53.8 ฿1,788

-46.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 Ft 1,131

$1.17 ฿38.99

205.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 Ft 435

$0.58 ฿19.22

137.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.13 Ft 7,939

$2.39 ฿79.3

951.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 Ft 485

$1.45 ฿48.22

5.52%

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

$31.2K Ft 9.9M

$21.0K ฿698.6K

48.54%

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

$37.3K Ft 11.8M

$26.4K ฿878.6K

41.21%

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

$178 Ft 56.3K

$63.7 ฿2,116

179.80%

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

$21.30 Ft 6,729

$12.89 ฿429

65.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.74 Ft 6,867

$20.52 ฿682

5.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.32 Ft 13.7K

$39.02 ฿1,297

11.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 Ft 5,960

$3.92 ฿130

381.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 Ft 2,940

$6.58 ฿219

41.49%

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

$448 Ft 141.5K

$784 ฿26.1K

-42.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,949 Ft 2.5M

$14.7K ฿487.9K

-45.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 Ft 32.8K

$55.1 ฿1,833

88.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 Ft 16.5K

$24.74 ฿823

110.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 Ft 31.8K

$94.1 ฿3,130

7.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 Ft 35.9K

$74.0 ฿2,459

53.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 Ft 162.9K

$490 ฿16.3K

5.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 Ft 135.4K

$288 ฿9,582

48.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$772 Ft 244.0K

$891 ฿29.6K

-13.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 Ft 211.4K

$521 ฿17.3K

28.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,109 Ft 982.4K

$1,974 ฿65.6K

57.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,423 Ft 765.7K

$1,444 ฿48.0K

67.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

43.63%

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

Last update for Dabas: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $516 in Dabas 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Dabas versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 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

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

Dabas costs about 46% 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 $2,043 per month in Dabas 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.

Kindergarten costs $448 per month in Dabas and $784 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Dabas, 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 Dabas at $1,362. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dabas it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $932 versus $1,362 in Dabas. 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, Dabas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.