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 $726 per month in El Viejo vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,160 per month in El Viejo vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,594 per month in El Viejo vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

El Viejo is about 15% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both El Viejo and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – El Viejo 45% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.02 NIO 184

$2.04 ฿68.4

146.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.48 NIO 1,300

$18.71 ฿626

89.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 NIO 260

$7.86 ฿263

-9.54%

Cappuccino

$2.39 NIO 87.4

$2.03 ฿67.9

17.73%

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

$0.83 NIO 30.51

$0.80 ฿26.71

3.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NIO 27.27

$0.35 ฿11.71

111.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 NIO 48.84

$2.14 ฿71.7

-37.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 NIO 71.4

$3.67 ฿123

-46.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 NIO 46.55

$1.73 ฿57.8

-26.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 NIO 90.8

$1.57 ฿52.5

57.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 NIO 66.1

$1.20 ฿40.10

50.83%

Eggs

$2.23 NIO 81.8

$1.97 ฿66.0

13.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.27 NIO 413

$16.23 ฿543

-30.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 NIO 249

$3.06 ฿102

122.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 NIO 288

$10.80 ฿361

-27.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 NIO 141

$2.77 ฿92.6

38.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 NIO 30.92

$1.17 ฿39.05

-28.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 NIO 64.1

$1.71 ฿57.1

2.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 NIO 81.2

$1.59 ฿53.3

39.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 NIO 144

$1.39 ฿46.63

182.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 NIO 80.5

$1.16 ฿38.67

89.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 NIO 37.32

$0.66 ฿22.11

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NIO 38.72

$0.52 ฿17.35

103.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.62 NIO 95.9

$4.65 ฿155

-43.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.56 NIO 533

$17.78 ฿595

-18.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 NIO 53.8

$1.79 ฿59.8

-17.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 NIO 82.5

$3.34 ฿112

-32.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿624

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 NIO 53.6

$1.41 ฿47.17

3.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 NIO 252

$8.11 ฿271

-15.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 NIO 47.41

$1.23 ฿41.27

4.88%

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

$23.2K NIO 850.4K

$21.4K ฿717.0K

8.32%

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

$26.4K NIO 967.2K

$21.8K ฿730.0K

21.00%

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

$97.5 NIO 3,570

$71.3 ฿2,386

36.66%

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

$16.96 NIO 621

$14.01 ฿469

21.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.93 NIO 1,389

$17.93 ฿600

111.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,365

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 NIO 286

$5.72 ฿191

36.54%

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

$126 NIO 4,615

$308 ฿10.3K

-59.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,073 NIO 222.4K

$14.7K ฿491.0K

-58.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 NIO 2,793

$55.8 ฿1,865

36.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.4 NIO 2,690

$26.04 ฿871

182.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 NIO 4,861

$84.8 ฿2,837

56.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NIO 3,937

$71.0 ฿2,375

51.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,110

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿17.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿49.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in El Viejo versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 18% 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 $1,088 per month in El Viejo and $1,279 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 $35.00 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 7% 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 $726 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 $726 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.