Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gouda and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,472 in Gouda, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Gouda
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Gouda Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Gouda

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,472

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,472 per month in Gouda vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gouda $2,472
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,894 per month in Gouda vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gouda $3,894
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $5,316 per month in Gouda vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gouda $5,316
Chiang Mai $1,914

Gouda costs about 163% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Gouda sits 83% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.24 €17.11

$2.26 ฿75.4

751.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.0 €80.1

$19.18 ฿641

369.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.22 €13.54

$5.59 ฿187

172.27%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.96

$1.72 ฿57.6

158.72%

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

$3.43 €3.05

$0.64 ฿21.54

435.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 €2.73

$0.33 ฿11.18

830.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 €7.07

$2.36 ฿78.7

236.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 €5.19

$3.90 ฿130

49.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$2.05 ฿68.6

-39.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.96

$1.40 ฿46.70

57.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$1.28 ฿42.89

100.78%

Eggs

$4.59 €4.08

$2.25 ฿75.3

104.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.93

$16.94 ฿566

-14.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$2.74 ฿91.6

371.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.62 €14.78

$9.36 ฿313

77.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 €2.39

$2.40 ฿80.3

11.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.01 ฿33.92

125.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.61 ฿53.9

22.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 €3.24

$1.52 ฿50.7

140.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.28 ฿42.90

34.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.11 ฿37.22

72.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.72 ฿24.09

62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.85

$0.52 ฿17.54

82.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.40 €11.92

$4.33 ฿145

209.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$17.73 ฿593

-62.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.63 ฿54.4

-11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.85 ฿95.3

-11.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 €3.14

$0.85 ฿28.31

315.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.2 €74.0

$53.9 ฿1,801

54.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 €3.06

$1.17 ฿39.18

194.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.30 €2.93

$0.57 ฿19.00

478.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.00 €19.57

$2.37 ฿79.2

828.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 €2.12

$1.45 ฿48.32

64.83%

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

$41.9K €37.3K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

104.88%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

43.85%

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

$274 €244

$62.3 ฿2,083

340.06%

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

$15.23 €13.55

$12.27 ฿410

24.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.04 €43.62

$19.97 ฿668

145.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.1 €52.6

$37.91 ฿1,267

55.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.27 €21.59

$3.76 ฿126

545.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 €13.14

$6.71 ฿224

120.12%

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

$1,751 €1,558

$797 ฿26.6K

119.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.8K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-10.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 €84.5

$53.3 ฿1,780

78.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.29 €37.62

$25.05 ฿837

68.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.4

$91.6 ฿3,062

14.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €124

$73.5 ฿2,455

90.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 €1,588

$464 ฿15.5K

284.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 €978

$305 ฿10.2K

261.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 €2,494

$915 ฿30.6K

206.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,261 €2,011

$552 ฿18.5K

309.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,355 €4,763

$1,912 ฿63.9K

180.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,381 €3,897

$1,438 ฿48.1K

204.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,477 €2,203

$595 ฿19.9K

316.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

5.57

-38.96%

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

Last update for Gouda: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gouda

$1.1K 44.5%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 72.3% $795

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gouda

$339 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 72.1% $244

Eating Out

Gouda

$330 13.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 76.1% $251

Groceries & Markets

Gouda

$325 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 26.8% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Gouda

$172 7%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 36.3% $62

Getting Around

Gouda

$117 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 47.7% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Gouda

$89 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 42.1% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Gouda versus $464 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 316% higher in Gouda, 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 $90.0 in Gouda versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Gouda

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

22:52 10:52 PM

5 h ahead of Gouda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,427

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

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Between locations

Gouda Chiang Mai 8,660 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Gouda
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

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

Gouda costs about 163% 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 $3,707 per month in Gouda and $1,408 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 $1,751 per month in Gouda and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Gouda, 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 $938, than in Gouda at $2,472. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gouda it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,472 in Gouda. 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, Gouda makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.