Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Enschede and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,363 in Enschede, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Enschede
Learn more

Enschede Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Enschede

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,363

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,363 per month in Enschede vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Enschede $2,363
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $3,680 per month in Enschede vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Enschede $3,680
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $4,996 per month in Enschede vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Enschede $4,996
Chiang Mai $1,903

Enschede costs about 155% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Enschede sits 74% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.35 €18.99

$2.29 ฿76.5

832.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 €71.1

$19.64 ฿656

306.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.56 €13.84

$5.61 ฿188

177.36%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.62

$1.66 ฿55.6

144.58%

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

$3.55 €3.16

$0.70 ฿23.40

407.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 €2.57

$0.31 ฿10.24

829.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 €5.35

$2.41 ฿80.4

149.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 €5.61

$3.71 ฿124

70.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.95 ฿65.3

-30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 €2.22

$1.41 ฿47.03

77.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$1.31 ฿43.62

101.53%

Eggs

$4.39 €3.91

$2.18 ฿72.9

101.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.75 €12.23

$16.65 ฿556

-17.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$2.76 ฿92.2

426.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.76 €13.13

$9.11 ฿304

62.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$2.39 ฿80.0

12.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.03 ฿34.26

112.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.63 ฿54.4

34.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 €4.24

$1.50 ฿50.0

218.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 €2.77

$1.29 ฿43.13

141.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.11 ฿37.03

91.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 €1.06

$0.72 ฿24.08

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.67

$0.53 ฿17.59

43.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.10 €12.54

$4.31 ฿144

227.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.65 €5.91

$17.95 ฿600

-62.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.58 ฿52.9

-8.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.64

$2.84 ฿95.0

4.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 €2.64

$0.86 ฿28.86

244.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 €101

$53.3 ฿1,780

112.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.34

$1.21 ฿40.29

210.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 €2.28

$0.57 ฿18.99

349.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.53 €24.49

$2.35 ฿78.6

1071.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.54 €2.26

$1.44 ฿47.96

76.39%

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

$41.9K €37.2K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

101.96%

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

$38.9K €34.6K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

45.15%

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

$262 €233

$62.3 ฿2,083

320.57%

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

$21.36 €19.00

$12.11 ฿405

76.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.78 €39.83

$19.94 ฿666

124.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.20 €30.42

$37.07 ฿1,239

-7.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.17 €21.50

$3.78 ฿126

539.42%

Cinema Ticket

$19.13 €17.02

$6.50 ฿217

194.31%

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

$1,198 €1,065

$793 ฿26.5K

51.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,959 €7,079

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-46.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €83.1

$53.7 ฿1,796

73.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.39 €33.26

$24.62 ฿823

51.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 €81.5

$90.9 ฿3,036

0.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €89.7

$71.1 ฿2,378

41.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 €1,187

$455 ฿15.2K

192.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 €892

$298 ฿9,954

236.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,509 €2,232

$908 ฿30.4K

176.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 €1,774

$554 ฿18.5K

260.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,629 €4,118

$1,931 ฿64.5K

139.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,233 €2,876

$1,445 ฿48.3K

123.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,857 €2,541

$591 ฿19.7K

383.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

5.57

-17.41%

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

Last update for Enschede: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Enschede

$1K 42.4%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 70.3% $705

Groceries & Markets

Enschede

$338 14.3%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 30.3% $102

Eating Out

Enschede

$335 14.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 76.5% $256

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Enschede

$328 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 71.3% $234

Clothing & Footwear

Enschede

$145 6.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 25.7% $37

Getting Around

Enschede

$141 6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 57% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Enschede

$72 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 30.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,334 in Enschede versus $455 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 383% higher in Enschede, 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 $80.0 in Enschede versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Enschede

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

5 h ahead of Enschede

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

161,235

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Enschede Chiang Mai 8,510 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Enschede
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

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

Enschede costs about 155% 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 $3,544 per month in Enschede and $1,388 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 $1,198 per month in Enschede and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Enschede, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Enschede at $2,363. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Enschede it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $2,363 in Enschede. 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, Enschede makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.