Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Imola and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,743 in Imola, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Imola, Italy
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Imola
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,743
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,743 per month in Imola vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Imola $1,743
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,669 per month in Imola vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Imola $2,669
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,596 per month in Imola vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Imola $3,596
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Imola costs about 86% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Imola sits 28% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Imola
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.15 €20.80
$2.24 ฿75.7
933.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.9
$19.00 ฿642
257.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.07 €9.94
$5.55 ฿188
99.46%
Cappuccino
$1.53 €1.38
$1.67 ฿56.6
-8.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 €1.77
$0.64 ฿21.56
207.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.04 €0.93
$0.31 ฿10.32
235.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.59 €4.12
$2.36 ฿79.6
94.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 €3.00
$3.66 ฿124
-8.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Imola
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 €1.24
$1.95 ฿65.8
-29.23%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.91
$1.44 ฿48.51
47.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.71 €1.53
$1.33 ฿45.07
28.57%
Eggs
$3.43 €3.08
$2.28 ฿77.1
50.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$26.42 €23.73
$16.45 ฿556
60.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.67 €8.69
$2.78 ฿94.0
247.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.16 €19.01
$9.31 ฿314
127.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.88 €2.58
$2.35 ฿79.5
22.55%
Banana (1kg)
$2.21 €1.98
$0.97 ฿32.82
127.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.35 €3.01
$1.60 ฿53.9
109.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.22 €2.89
$1.50 ฿50.7
114.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.64 €1.47
$1.28 ฿43.15
28.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 €0.99
$1.10 ฿37.22
0.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.40 €0.36
$0.71 ฿23.84
-43.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.28 €0.25
$0.49 ฿16.38
-42.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.28 €6.54
$4.14 ฿140
75.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.72 €5.14
$17.52 ฿592
-67.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 €1.48
$1.61 ฿54.5
2.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 €1.77
$2.78 ฿94.0
-29.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Imola
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.48 €1.33
$0.87 ฿29.33
70.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.53 €28.32
$54.1 ฿1,827
-41.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.80 €3.41
$1.16 ฿39.08
227.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 €1.08
$0.53 ฿17.82
126.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.85 €25.02
$2.42 ฿81.8
1050.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 €1.74
$1.45 ฿48.93
33.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.6K
$21.1K ฿711.2K
56.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.2K €32.5K
$26.9K ฿909.8K
34.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Imola
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$240 €216
$62.2 ฿2,100
286.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.05 €9.92
$12.17 ฿411
-9.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.30 €29.91
$20.12 ฿680
65.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Imola
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$78.5 €70.5
$37.31 ฿1,260
110.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.60 €7.72
$3.77 ฿127
128.12%
Cinema Ticket
$10.58 €9.50
$6.49 ฿219
63.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Imola
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$662 €595
$736 ฿24.9K
-10.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,999 €8,982
$14.8K ฿498.6K
-32.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Imola
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$96.5 €86.7
$53.4 ฿1,802
80.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.50 €24.70
$24.64 ฿832
11.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.1 €85.5
$91.5 ฿3,089
4.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.8 €85.2
$71.9 ฿2,429
31.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Imola
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$665 €597
$482 ฿16.3K
37.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$552 €496
$309 ฿10.4K
78.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,315 €1,181
$1,006 ฿34.0K
30.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$952 €855
$633 ฿21.4K
50.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,856 €2,566
$2,363 ฿79.8K
20.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,022 €1,816
$1,589 ฿53.7K
27.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Imola
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,115 €1,900
$590 ฿19.9K
258.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.16
5.57
-43.27%

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

Last update for Imola: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Imola
$552
Chiang Mai
$309 44.1% $243
Groceries & Markets
Imola
$339
Chiang Mai
$234 31% $105
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Imola
$285
Chiang Mai
$94 66.8% $190
Eating Out
Imola
$279
Chiang Mai
$78 72.1% $201
Clothing & Footwear
Imola
$141
Chiang Mai
$109 23.1% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Imola
$100
Chiang Mai
$50 49.5% $49
Getting Around
Imola
$47
Chiang Mai
$61 29.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $665 in Imola 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 Imola are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Imola versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Imola
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
20:47 8:47 PM
02:47 2:47 AM
6 h ahead of Imola
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
69,797
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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Imola Chiang Mai 8,350 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Imola
  • 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
Imola vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Imola or Chiang Mai?
Imola costs about 86% 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 Imola and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,615 per month in Imola and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Imola or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $665 in Imola.
How do childcare costs compare in Imola and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $662 per month in Imola and $736 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 Imola or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 45% more in Imola, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Imola or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,743 in Imola and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Imola or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,743 in Imola. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Imola compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Imola or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Imola makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Imola vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?