Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elbasan and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Elbasan: $891 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $540 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in Elbasan
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Elbasan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Elbasan

🇦🇱 Albania

$891

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Elbasan 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 Elbasan and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $891 per month in Elbasan vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Elbasan $891
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,407 per month in Elbasan vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Elbasan $1,407
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,924 per month in Elbasan vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Elbasan $1,924
Chiang Mai $1,979

Elbasan is about 5% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Elbasan and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Elbasan 35% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.08 ALL 814

$2.24 ฿75.7

350.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.61 ALL 2,957

$19.00 ฿642

92.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 ALL 562

$5.55 ฿188

25.41%

Cappuccino

$1.78 ALL 143

$1.67 ฿56.6

6.59%

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

$1.40 ALL 113

$0.64 ฿21.56

118.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ALL 55.5

$0.31 ฿10.32

122.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 ALL 171

$2.36 ฿79.6

-10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ALL 230

$3.66 ฿124

-22.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ALL 160

$1.95 ฿65.8

1.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ALL 76.0

$1.44 ฿48.51

-34.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ALL 128

$1.33 ฿45.07

18.80%

Eggs

$2.60 ALL 210

$2.28 ฿77.1

14.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 ALL 819

$16.45 ฿556

-38.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 ALL 482

$2.78 ฿94.0

114.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.74 ALL 948

$9.31 ฿314

26.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ALL 97.7

$2.35 ฿79.5

-48.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ALL 184

$0.97 ฿32.82

134.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ALL 113

$1.60 ฿53.9

-12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 ALL 88.1

$1.50 ฿50.7

-27.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 ALL 83.5

$1.28 ฿43.15

-19.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ALL 85.3

$1.10 ฿37.22

-3.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 ALL 63.7

$0.71 ฿23.84

11.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ALL 52.6

$0.49 ฿16.38

32.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 ALL 357

$4.14 ฿140

6.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 ALL 633

$17.52 ฿592

-55.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ALL 83.6

$1.61 ฿54.5

-35.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ALL 145

$2.78 ฿94.0

-35.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ALL 41.15

$0.87 ฿29.33

-41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.70 ALL 1,591

$54.1 ฿1,827

-63.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ALL 292

$1.16 ฿39.08

212.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 ALL 116

$0.53 ฿17.82

171.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.87 ALL 1,201

$2.42 ฿81.8

514.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 ALL 176

$1.45 ฿48.93

50.34%

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

$30.0K ALL 2.4M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

42.65%

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

$29.5K ALL 2.4M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

9.44%

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

$62.4 ALL 5,040

$62.2 ฿2,100

0.35%

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

$15.72 ALL 1,269

$12.17 ฿411

29.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.18 ALL 984

$20.12 ฿680

-39.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 ALL 4,577

$37.31 ฿1,260

51.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.27 ALL 1,395

$3.77 ฿127

358.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 ALL 345

$6.49 ฿219

-34.05%

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

$141 ALL 11.3K

$736 ฿24.9K

-80.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,879 ALL 151.8K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-87.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 ALL 5,869

$53.4 ฿1,802

36.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 ALL 3,656

$24.64 ฿832

83.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ALL 7,613

$91.5 ฿3,089

3.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.5 ALL 7,878

$71.9 ฿2,429

35.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$305 ALL 24.7K

$482 ฿16.3K

-36.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ALL 16.4K

$309 ฿10.4K

-34.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 ALL 36.2K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-55.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ALL 25.3K

$633 ฿21.4K

-50.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,349 ALL 109.0K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-42.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$877 ALL 70.8K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-44.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$552 ALL 44.6K

$590 ฿19.9K

-6.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

5.57

9.52%

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

Last update for Elbasan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Elbasan

$213 23.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 10.2% $22

Accommodation & Living

Elbasan

$203 22.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 52.1% $106

Eating Out

Elbasan

$147 16.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 47.4% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Elbasan

$139 15.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 22% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elbasan

$90 10.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 4.6% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Elbasan

$65 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 22.9% $15

Getting Around

Elbasan

$33 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 88.5% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $305 in Elbasan 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.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Elbasan versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $213 in Elbasan vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Elbasan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Elbasan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

18:58 6:58 PM

6 h ahead of Elbasan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,703

127,240

💱 Currency

Albanian Lek ALL L

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.11 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ALL – Albanian Lek Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇱 Albanian Lek (L)

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 80.77 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.89 ALL (100 ALL = 1.11 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ALL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Elbasan Chiang Mai 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Elbasan
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Elbasan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,336 per month in Elbasan 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 Elbasan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $305 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $141 per month in Elbasan 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 10% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

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

If budget matters most, go with Elbasan. 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.