Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Herne and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,056 in Herne, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Herne
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Herne Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Herne

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,056

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,056 per month in Herne vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Herne $2,056
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,947 per month in Herne vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Herne $2,947
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,839 per month in Herne vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Herne $3,839
Chiang Mai $1,979

Herne costs about 120% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Herne sits 51% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.11 €15.34

$2.24 ฿75.6

663.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 €69.6

$19.00 ฿641

308.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.53 €11.23

$5.55 ฿187

125.77%

Cappuccino

$3.51 €3.14

$1.67 ฿56.5

110.18%

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

$2.97 €2.66

$0.64 ฿21.55

364.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.99

$0.31 ฿10.31

616.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.97

$2.36 ฿79.6

87.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 €3.31

$3.66 ฿124

0.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.95 ฿65.8

-28.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.04

$1.44 ฿48.48

58.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.93 €3.52

$1.33 ฿45.04

195.49%

Eggs

$3.70 €3.31

$2.28 ฿77.1

62.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.11 €13.54

$16.45 ฿555

-8.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.78 €10.55

$2.78 ฿93.9

323.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.67 €16.73

$9.31 ฿314

100.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 €2.98

$2.35 ฿79.4

41.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 €1.76

$0.97 ฿32.80

102.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.60 ฿53.9

30.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 €3.77

$1.50 ฿50.6

180.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.28 ฿43.12

2.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.10 ฿37.19

11.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.39

$0.71 ฿23.82

118.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.95

$0.49 ฿16.37

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.70 €8.70

$4.14 ฿140

134.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.81 €6.10

$17.52 ฿591

-61.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.61 ฿54.5

-29.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.44

$2.78 ฿94.0

-42.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 €3.05

$0.87 ฿29.31

290.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.2 €62.0

$54.1 ฿1,826

28.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 €4.31

$1.16 ฿39.06

315.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 €2.27

$0.53 ฿17.80

377.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.60 €30.11

$2.42 ฿81.8

1288.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.88

$1.45 ฿48.90

44.83%

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

$30.5K €27.3K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

44.72%

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

$37.4K €33.5K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

38.74%

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

$378 €339

$62.2 ฿2,098

508.43%

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

$33.58 €30.09

$12.17 ฿411

175.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 €45.35

$20.12 ฿679

151.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.79 €34.76

$37.31 ฿1,259

3.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.68 €23.91

$3.77 ฿127

607.69%

Cinema Ticket

$15.10 €13.54

$6.49 ฿219

132.67%

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

$225 €202

$736 ฿24.8K

-69.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €15.3K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

15.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 €82.7

$53.4 ฿1,801

72.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 €46.92

$24.64 ฿831

112.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.6

$91.5 ฿3,087

11.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €121

$71.9 ฿2,428

88.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 €721

$482 ฿16.3K

66.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €584

$309 ฿10.4K

111.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 €1,311

$1,006 ฿33.9K

45.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$879 €788

$633 ฿21.4K

38.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,174

$2,363 ฿79.8K

97.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,359 €3,010

$1,589 ฿53.6K

111.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,026 €2,711

$590 ฿19.9K

413.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

5.57

-29.08%

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

Last update for Herne: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Herne

$652 31.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 52.6% $343

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Herne

$462 22.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 79.6% $368

Groceries & Markets

Herne

$333 16.2%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 29.6% $99

Eating Out

Herne

$267 13%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 70.9% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Herne

$172 8.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 36.8% $63

Getting Around

Herne

$100 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 38.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Herne

$69 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 27.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Herne 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 in Herne are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Herne versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Herne

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

23:13 11:13 PM

6 h ahead of Herne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

156,449

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Herne Chiang Mai 8,500 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Herne
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

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

Herne costs about 120% 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 $3,083 per month in Herne 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 $805 in Herne.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Herne 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 42% more in Herne, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,056 in Herne and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,056 in Herne. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Herne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.