Cost of Living Comparison Between Goes and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Goes and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,502 per month in Goes vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,569 per month in Goes vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,635 per month in Goes vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Goes costs about 188% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Goes sits 86% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.86 €16.25

$1.98 ฿64.3

852.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 €61.2

$18.80 ฿612

277.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 €11.35

$7.75 ฿252

69.94%

Cappuccino

$3.53 €3.04

$1.92 ฿62.5

83.85%

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

$2.94 €2.53

$0.79 ฿25.79

272.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.36 ฿11.62

488.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.46 €5.56

$2.21 ฿72.1

192.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €2.98

$3.66 ฿119

-5.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.65 ฿53.8

-26.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.63 ฿53.2

51.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 €2.81

$1.19 ฿38.86

173.95%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.25

$2.00 ฿65.1

146.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.00 €12.06

$15.98 ฿520

-12.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.73 €14.41

$3.03 ฿98.5

452.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.02 €14.67

$10.86 ฿354

56.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.76 ฿90.0

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$1.18 ฿38.42

122.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.64 ฿53.5

14.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 €3.47

$1.52 ฿49.51

164.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.38 ฿45.10

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.19 ฿38.84

81.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.06

$0.70 ฿22.86

75.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.66

$0.56 ฿18.13

35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.64 €12.62

$4.58 ฿149

219.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.19

$16.56 ฿539

-56.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.83 ฿59.5

-25.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.34

$3.20 ฿104

-15.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 €3.00

$0.88 ฿28.56

296.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.0 €81.0

$18.72 ฿610

402.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.36 ฿44.16

185.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.34 ฿43.65

66.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.35 €23.57

$7.84 ฿256

248.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.23 ฿39.92

86.18%

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

$37.1K €32.0K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

71.69%

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

$38.9K €33.5K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

72.48%

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

$264 €227

$70.5 ฿2,298

273.77%

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

$30.01 €25.86

$13.68 ฿445

119.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.02 €39.65

$17.45 ฿568

163.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.24 €35.53

$41.33 ฿1,346

-0.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.12 €19.92

$6.96 ฿227

232.18%

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 €11.61

$5.77 ฿188

133.45%

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

$1,859 €1,602

$307 ฿10.0K

505.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,162 €5,310

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-57.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 €69.2

$55.8 ฿1,817

44.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.63 €15.19

$26.21 ฿854

-32.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €73.4

$85.8 ฿2,793

-0.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 €77.1

$72.2 ฿2,353

23.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 €1,235

$430 ฿14.0K

233.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 €1,004

$239 ฿7,774

388.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 €1,965

$817 ฿26.6K

179.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 €1,495

$511 ฿16.6K

239.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,515 €4,751

$1,983 ฿64.6K

178.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,044 €4,346

$1,484 ฿48.3K

239.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,199 €2,757

$619 ฿20.2K

417.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

-35.00%

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

Last update for Goes: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,433 in Goes versus $430 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 417% higher in Goes, 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 $71.0 in Goes versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $241 – 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

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

Goes costs about 188% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $3,753 per month in Goes and $1,303 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 $1,859 per month in Goes and $307 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Goes, 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 $869, than in Goes at $2,502. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Goes it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $869 versus $2,502 in Goes. 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, Goes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.