Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Izmir and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,207 in Izmir, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Izmir
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Izmir Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Izmir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,207

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Izmir vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Izmir $1,207
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,906 per month in Izmir vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Izmir $1,906
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,606 per month in Izmir vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Izmir $2,606
Chiang Mai $1,914

Izmir costs about 29% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Izmir and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Izmir 11% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.20 ₺505

$2.26 ฿75.4

351.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.97 ₺1,831

$19.18 ฿641

92.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ₺417

$5.59 ฿187

50.81%

Cappuccino

$3.54 ₺175

$1.72 ฿57.6

105.81%

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

$1.50 ₺74.3

$0.64 ฿21.54

134.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₺31.18

$0.33 ฿11.18

90.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₺168

$2.36 ฿78.7

43.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 ₺257

$3.90 ฿130

33.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₺54.4

$2.05 ฿68.6

-46.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 ₺52.5

$1.40 ฿46.70

-24.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 ₺115

$1.28 ฿42.89

81.25%

Eggs

$2.55 ₺126

$2.25 ฿75.3

13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 ₺460

$16.94 ฿566

-45.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 ₺255

$2.74 ฿91.6

87.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.02 ₺1,041

$9.36 ฿313

124.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 ₺97.9

$2.40 ฿80.3

-17.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 ₺103

$1.01 ฿33.92

105.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₺50.6

$1.61 ฿53.9

-36.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 ₺71.0

$1.52 ฿50.7

-5.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 ₺27.60

$1.28 ฿42.90

-56.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₺20.50

$1.11 ฿37.22

-63.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₺54.7

$0.72 ฿24.09

52.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₺37.49

$0.52 ฿17.54

46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 ₺109

$4.33 ฿145

-49.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 ₺571

$17.73 ฿593

-34.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₺100

$1.63 ฿54.4

24.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₺153

$2.85 ฿95.3

8.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 ₺33.71

$0.85 ฿28.31

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.37 ₺2,147

$53.9 ฿1,801

-19.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 ₺179

$1.17 ฿39.18

208.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ₺51.3

$0.57 ฿19.00

82.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 ₺266

$2.37 ฿79.2

126.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₺67.1

$1.45 ฿48.32

-6.21%

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

$40.6K ₺2.0M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

98.38%

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

$46.7K ₺2.3M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

76.32%

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

$82.5 ₺4,086

$62.3 ฿2,083

32.41%

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

$10.63 ₺526

$12.27 ฿410

-13.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.18 ₺801

$19.97 ฿668

-18.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.0 ₺3,171

$37.91 ฿1,267

68.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.09 ₺1,737

$3.76 ฿126

833.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.99 ₺396

$6.71 ฿224

19.08%

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

$685 ₺33.9K

$797 ฿26.6K

-14.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K ₺700.2K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-4.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.16 ₺2,286

$53.3 ฿1,780

-13.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.59 ₺1,812

$25.05 ฿837

46.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 ₺4,527

$91.6 ฿3,062

-0.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.2 ₺3,971

$73.5 ฿2,455

9.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 ₺30.0K

$464 ฿15.5K

30.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 ₺20.6K

$305 ฿10.2K

36.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 ₺55.7K

$915 ฿30.6K

22.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₺39.6K

$552 ฿18.5K

44.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,455 ₺72.0K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-23.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,006 ₺49.8K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-30.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,158 ₺57.3K

$595 ฿19.9K

94.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

42.33

5.57

659.96%

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

Last update for Izmir: 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

Izmir

$416 34.5%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 26.7% $111

Groceries & Markets

Izmir

$247 20.5%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 3.6% $8.8

Eating Out

Izmir

$185 15.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 57.3% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Izmir

$114 9.5%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 4.3% $5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Izmir

$109 9.1%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 13.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Izmir

$80 6.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 35.8% $29

Getting Around

Izmir

$55 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 11.7% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $606 in Izmir 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 95% higher in Izmir, 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 $37.00 in Izmir versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $247 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Izmir

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

12:01 12:01 PM

4 h ahead of Izmir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,493,242

127,240

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Izmir Chiang Mai 7,170 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Izmir
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

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

Izmir costs about 29% 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 $1,810 per month in Izmir 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 $685 per month in Izmir 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 4% more in Izmir, 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 Izmir at $1,207. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Izmir it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,207 in Izmir. 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, Izmir makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.