Cost of Living Comparison Between El Viejo and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between El Viejo and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $700 per month in El Viejo vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,148 per month in El Viejo vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,597 per month in El Viejo vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

El Viejo is about 18% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both El Viejo and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – El Viejo 48% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.97 NIO 183

$1.96 ฿64.0

153.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.56 NIO 1,307

$18.81 ฿615

89.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.10 NIO 261

$7.92 ฿259

-10.35%

Cappuccino

$2.43 NIO 89.4

$1.91 ฿62.6

27.23%

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

$0.84 NIO 30.75

$0.84 ฿27.41

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NIO 27.26

$0.35 ฿11.51

111.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 NIO 49.01

$2.21 ฿72.1

-39.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 NIO 75.6

$3.80 ฿124

-45.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 NIO 46.42

$1.64 ฿53.5

-23.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 NIO 90.4

$1.62 ฿53.1

51.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 NIO 66.1

$1.18 ฿38.62

52.54%

Eggs

$2.24 NIO 82.5

$2.01 ฿65.8

11.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 NIO 419

$15.89 ฿520

-28.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 NIO 240

$3.01 ฿98.5

117.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.95 NIO 292

$10.77 ฿352

-26.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 NIO 147

$2.61 ฿85.5

53.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 NIO 32.76

$1.22 ฿39.88

-27.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 NIO 65.6

$1.70 ฿55.7

4.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 NIO 82.8

$1.58 ฿51.5

42.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.99 NIO 147

$1.32 ฿43.14

202.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 NIO 80.8

$1.17 ฿38.23

88.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 NIO 39.15

$0.67 ฿21.98

58.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 NIO 36.95

$0.56 ฿18.32

80.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 NIO 100

$4.53 ฿148

-39.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.78 NIO 543

$18.20 ฿595

-18.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 NIO 52.0

$1.83 ฿60.0

-22.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 NIO 82.2

$3.23 ฿106

-30.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 NIO 54.4

$1.35 ฿44.20

9.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.89 NIO 253

$8.25 ฿270

-16.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 NIO 49.94

$1.27 ฿41.64

7.09%

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

$22.9K NIO 842.5K

$21.2K ฿691.8K

8.34%

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

$26.8K NIO 986.2K

$22.5K ฿735.3K

19.31%

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

$99.6 NIO 3,660

$70.2 ฿2,294

41.95%

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

$17.05 NIO 627

$13.77 ฿450

23.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.08 NIO 1,363

$17.60 ฿575

110.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 NIO 299

$5.78 ฿189

40.83%

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

$122 NIO 4,502

$306 ฿10.0K

-60.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,932 NIO 218.1K

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-59.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.7 NIO 2,819

$54.4 ฿1,778

41.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.3 NIO 2,656

$26.14 ฿855

176.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 NIO 4,881

$84.5 ฿2,764

57.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NIO 3,897

$69.4 ฿2,270

52.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.25

105.00%

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

Last update for El Viejo: April 28, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in El Viejo versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $243 – 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

El Viejo vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 22% more than El Viejo, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,050 per month in El Viejo and $1,278 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in El Viejo and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $700 in El Viejo and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. El Viejo costs $700 versus $852 in Chiang Mai. 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 El Viejo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.