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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,043 per month in Durres vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,573 per month in Durres vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,103 per month in Durres vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Durres costs about 22% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Durres and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Durres 22% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.48 ALL 766

$2.04 ฿68.3

364.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.56 ALL 2,874

$18.71 ฿625

90.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 ALL 587

$7.86 ฿262

-7.51%

Cappuccino

$1.96 ALL 158

$2.03 ฿67.8

-3.45%

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

$1.58 ALL 127

$0.80 ฿26.67

97.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ALL 63.7

$0.35 ฿11.69

125.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ALL 196

$2.14 ฿71.6

13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ALL 270

$3.67 ฿123

-8.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ALL 165

$1.73 ฿57.7

18.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ALL 74.0

$1.57 ฿52.5

-41.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ALL 163

$1.20 ฿40.04

67.50%

Eggs

$3.01 ALL 243

$1.97 ฿65.9

52.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.48 ALL 847

$16.23 ฿542

-35.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.64 ALL 618

$3.06 ฿102

149.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 ALL 1,061

$10.80 ฿361

21.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 ALL 93.6

$2.77 ฿92.5

-58.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 ALL 197

$1.17 ฿38.99

108.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ALL 104

$1.71 ฿57.0

-25.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ALL 92.6

$1.59 ฿53.2

-27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 ALL 88.8

$1.39 ฿46.56

-20.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ALL 80.2

$1.16 ฿38.61

-14.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ALL 92.8

$0.66 ฿22.08

74.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ALL 50.5

$0.52 ฿17.33

19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ALL 333

$4.65 ฿155

-11.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.00 ALL 889

$17.78 ฿594

-38.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ALL 134

$1.79 ฿59.7

-7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ALL 147

$3.34 ฿112

-45.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 39.77

$0.91 ฿30.30

-46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.09 ALL 1,461

$18.64 ฿623

-2.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ALL 291

$1.41 ฿47.10

155.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 ALL 171

$1.34 ฿44.76

57.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.45 ALL 1,410

$8.11 ฿271

115.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ALL 170

$1.23 ฿41.21

71.54%

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

$15.4K ALL 1.2M

$21.4K ฿715.9K

-27.94%

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

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

$21.8K ฿728.9K

17.82%

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

$68.3 ALL 5,516

$71.3 ฿2,382

-4.29%

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

$17.80 ALL 1,439

$14.01 ฿468

27.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.74 ALL 1,272

$17.93 ฿599

-12.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.70 ALL 3,046

$40.82 ฿1,363

-7.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.9 ALL 4,758

$6.88 ฿230

755.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.03 ALL 568

$5.72 ฿191

22.90%

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

$174 ALL 14.1K

$308 ฿10.3K

-43.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,370 ALL 353.1K

$14.7K ฿490.3K

-70.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.89 ALL 3,142

$55.8 ฿1,863

-30.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 ALL 3,216

$26.04 ฿870

52.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 ALL 6,906

$84.8 ฿2,833

0.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 ALL 12.7K

$71.0 ฿2,371

122.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 ALL 33.6K

$423 ฿14.1K

-1.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ALL 26.0K

$242 ฿8,098

32.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 ALL 47.9K

$797 ฿26.6K

-25.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 ALL 34.2K

$507 ฿16.9K

-16.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,792 ALL 144.8K

$1,918 ฿64.1K

-6.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,156 ALL 93.4K

$1,464 ฿48.9K

-21.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$949 ALL 76.7K

$595 ฿19.9K

59.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.60%

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

Last update for Durres: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $415 in Durres 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 60% higher in Durres, 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 $36.00 in Durres versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $241 in Durres vs $244 in Chiang Mai – so Durres wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Durres costs about 22% 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 $1,565 per month in Durres 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 $174 per month in Durres and $308 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Durres – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $852, than in Durres at $1,043. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Durres it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $1,043 in Durres. 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, Durres makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.