Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elad and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,040 in Elad, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Elad
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Elad Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Elad

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,040

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Elad and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Elad and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,040 per month in Elad vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Elad $3,040
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $4,245 per month in Elad vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Elad $4,245
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $5,450 per month in Elad vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Elad $5,450
Chiang Mai $1,979

Elad costs about 225% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Elad sits 123% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.87 ₪71.8

$2.24 ฿75.6

920.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 ₪311

$19.00 ฿641

421.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.62 ₪64.7

$5.55 ฿187

271.53%

Cappuccino

$4.71 ₪14.79

$1.67 ฿56.5

182.04%

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

$2.89 ₪9.07

$0.64 ฿21.54

351.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ₪6.78

$0.31 ฿10.31

596.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.23 ₪35.25

$2.36 ฿79.5

375.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.57 ₪30.04

$3.66 ฿124

161.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₪7.46

$1.95 ฿65.7

22.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 ₪8.28

$1.44 ฿48.46

83.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 ₪8.18

$1.33 ฿45.03

96.24%

Eggs

$5.27 ₪16.55

$2.28 ฿77.1

131.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.72 ₪68.2

$16.45 ฿555

32.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.29 ₪44.84

$2.78 ฿93.9

414.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.65 ₪80.5

$9.31 ฿314

175.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 ₪14.88

$2.35 ฿79.4

101.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.88 ₪12.17

$0.97 ฿32.79

300.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 ₪7.84

$1.60 ฿53.9

56.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 ₪10.30

$1.50 ฿50.6

118.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ₪5.25

$1.28 ฿43.11

30.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 ₪5.81

$1.10 ฿37.18

68.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 ₪8.57

$0.71 ฿23.82

284.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₪4.65

$0.49 ฿16.36

202.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.72 ₪46.20

$4.14 ฿140

255.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 ₪39.85

$17.52 ฿591

-27.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 ₪8.97

$1.61 ฿54.5

77.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₪7.93

$2.78 ฿93.9

-8.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 ₪8.11

$0.87 ฿29.30

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 ₪352

$54.1 ฿1,825

107.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 ₪13.51

$1.16 ฿39.04

271.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 ₪3.60

$0.53 ฿17.80

116.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.80 ₪62.2

$2.42 ฿81.7

718.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.55 ₪8.00

$1.45 ฿48.88

75.86%

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

$55.4K ₪173.8K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

163.05%

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

$54.6K ₪171.2K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

102.52%

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

$442 ₪1,387

$62.2 ฿2,098

610.68%

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

$11.20 ₪35.16

$12.17 ฿411

-7.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.76 ₪112

$20.12 ฿679

77.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₪217

$37.31 ฿1,259

84.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 ₪46.60

$6.49 ฿219

128.81%

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

$1,160 ₪3,640

$736 ฿24.8K

57.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K ₪77.6K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

67.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 ₪227

$53.4 ฿1,801

35.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.98 ₪125

$24.64 ฿831

62.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 ₪439

$91.5 ฿3,087

52.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 ₪484

$71.9 ฿2,427

114.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 ₪5,280

$482 ฿16.3K

248.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 ₪4,047

$309 ฿10.4K

317.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,228 ₪6,992

$1,006 ฿33.9K

121.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 ₪5,449

$633 ฿21.4K

174.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,921 ₪28.0K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

277.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,937 ₪24.9K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

399.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.03

5.57

-9.69%

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

Last update for Elad: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Elad

$1.3K 42.4%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 76% $981

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elad

$489 16.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 80.7% $394

Groceries & Markets

Elad

$451 14.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 48% $216

Eating Out

Elad

$397 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 80.5% $319

Clothing & Footwear

Elad

$183 6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 40.6% $74

Getting Around

Elad

$132 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 53.7% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Elad

$99 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 49.1% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,683 in Elad versus $482 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 $99 in Elad versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Elad

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:33 9:33 AM

14:33 2:33 PM

5 h ahead of Elad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,033

127,240

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.319 USD

1 ILS = 0.285 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.14 ILS (1 ILS = 0.319 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.285 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Elad Chiang Mai 6,510 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Elad
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Elad costs about 225% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $4,560 per month in Elad and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,683 in Elad.

Kindergarten costs $1,160 per month in Elad and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 92% more in Elad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,040 in Elad and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 69% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.