Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iglesias and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,563 in Iglesias, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Iglesias
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,563
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,563 per month in Iglesias vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Iglesias $1,563
  • Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,439 per month in Iglesias vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Iglesias $2,439
  • Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $3,316 per month in Iglesias vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Iglesias $3,316
  • Chiang Mai $1,914

Iglesias costs about 67% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Iglesias sits 16% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Iglesias
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.87 €19.46
$2.26 ฿75.4
867.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.0 €59.6
$19.18 ฿641
249.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.99 €9.78
$5.59 ฿187
96.60%
Cappuccino
$1.92 €1.71
$1.72 ฿57.6
11.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$0.64 ฿21.54
332.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 €0.97
$0.33 ฿11.18
230.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.53 €4.92
$2.36 ฿78.7
134.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.11 €4.55
$3.90 ฿130
31.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Iglesias
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 €0.99
$2.05 ฿68.6
-45.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.40 ฿46.70
-21.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.71 €1.52
$1.28 ฿42.89
33.59%
Eggs
$3.39 €3.01
$2.25 ฿75.3
50.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.91 €15.04
$16.94 ฿566
-0.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.34 €6.53
$2.74 ฿91.6
167.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.44 €6.62
$9.36 ฿313
-20.51%
Apples (1kg)
$2.61 €2.32
$2.40 ฿80.3
8.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.78 €1.58
$1.01 ฿33.92
76.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 €1.99
$1.61 ฿53.9
39.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.68 €1.50
$1.52 ฿50.7
10.53%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 €1.74
$1.28 ฿42.90
53.12%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 €1.97
$1.11 ฿37.22
100.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 €1.31
$0.72 ฿24.09
105.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 €0.47
$0.52 ฿17.54
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.33 €5.63
$4.33 ฿145
46.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.07 €4.51
$17.73 ฿593
-71.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.46
$1.63 ฿54.4
0.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 €1.61
$2.85 ฿95.3
-36.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Iglesias
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.66 €1.47
$0.85 ฿28.31
95.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.33 €32.32
$53.9 ฿1,801
-32.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.50 €8.45
$1.17 ฿39.18
711.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.50 €1.33
$0.57 ฿19.00
163.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.17 €27.73
$2.37 ฿79.2
1215.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.45 ฿48.32
31.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.6K
$20.5K ฿684.3K
62.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.9K €31.9K
$26.5K ฿886.1K
35.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iglesias
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €140
$62.3 ฿2,083
152.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.75 €7.78
$12.27 ฿410
-28.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.46 €26.21
$19.97 ฿668
47.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Iglesias
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.85 €44.34
$37.91 ฿1,267
31.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.18 €24.18
$3.76 ฿126
622.87%
Cinema Ticket
$8.92 €7.93
$6.71 ฿224
32.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Iglesias
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$531 €472
$797 ฿26.6K
-33.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,070 €7,178
$14.8K ฿495.7K
-45.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Iglesias
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.0 €84.5
$53.3 ฿1,780
78.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.76 €38.04
$25.05 ฿837
70.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.7 €83.4
$91.6 ฿3,062
2.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 €103
$73.5 ฿2,455
57.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Iglesias
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$712 €633
$464 ฿15.5K
53.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$561 €499
$305 ฿10.2K
84.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 €1,040
$915 ฿30.6K
27.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,002 €892
$552 ฿18.5K
81.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,712 €2,412
$1,912 ฿63.9K
41.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,767 €1,572
$1,438 ฿48.1K
22.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Iglesias
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$595 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.27
5.57
-41.29%

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

Last update for Iglesias: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Iglesias
$561
Chiang Mai
$305 45.7% $256
Eating Out
Iglesias
$284
Chiang Mai
$79 72.2% $205
Groceries & Markets
Iglesias
$238
Chiang Mai
$238 0.1% $0.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iglesias
$196
Chiang Mai
$95 51.7% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Iglesias
$156
Chiang Mai
$110 29.9% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Iglesias
$68
Chiang Mai
$51 24.2% $16
Getting Around
Iglesias
$60
Chiang Mai
$61 2.3% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $712 in Iglesias 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Iglesias versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Iglesias vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Iglesias wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Iglesias
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
02:32 2:32 AM
07:32 7:32 AM
5 h ahead of Iglesias
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
28,170
127,240
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Iglesias Chiang Mai 8,740 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Iglesias
  • 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
Iglesias vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Iglesias or Chiang Mai?
Iglesias costs about 67% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Iglesias and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,344 per month in Iglesias and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Iglesias or Chiang Mai?
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.
How do childcare costs compare in Iglesias and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $531 per month in Iglesias and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Iglesias or in Chiang Mai?
Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Iglesias – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Iglesias or in Chiang Mai?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Iglesias at $1,563. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Iglesias it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Iglesias or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,563 in Iglesias. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Iglesias compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Iglesias or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Iglesias makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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