Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Rochelle and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,838 in La Rochelle, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in La Rochelle
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La Rochelle Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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La Rochelle

🇫🇷 France

$1,838

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,838 per month in La Rochelle vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

La Rochelle $1,838
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,834 per month in La Rochelle vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

La Rochelle $2,834
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,829 per month in La Rochelle vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

La Rochelle $3,829
Chiang Mai $1,903

La Rochelle costs about 99% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

La Rochelle sits 36% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.45 €19.97

$2.29 ฿76.5

880.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €60.0

$19.64 ฿656

243.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.00 €12.46

$5.61 ฿188

149.55%

Cappuccino

$3.77 €3.35

$1.66 ฿55.6

127.11%

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

$2.83 €2.52

$0.70 ฿23.40

304.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$0.31 ฿10.24

329.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.25 €6.45

$2.41 ฿80.4

200.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 €4.00

$3.71 ฿124

21.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.95 ฿65.3

-27.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.41 ฿47.03

26.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.31 ฿43.62

48.85%

Eggs

$4.19 €3.72

$2.18 ฿72.9

92.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.16 €17.05

$16.65 ฿556

15.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.76 €10.46

$2.76 ฿92.2

326.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.84 €15.87

$9.11 ฿304

95.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$2.39 ฿80.0

25.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €2.06

$1.03 ฿34.26

124.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$1.63 ฿54.4

68.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 €3.46

$1.50 ฿50.0

159.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.29 ฿43.13

44.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.11 ฿37.03

76.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.54

$0.72 ฿24.08

140.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 €0.31

$0.53 ฿17.59

-33.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.04 €12.49

$4.31 ฿144

225.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 €7.99

$17.95 ฿600

-49.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.58 ฿52.9

46.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.15

$2.84 ฿95.0

-15.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.48

$0.86 ฿28.86

94.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.75 €34.47

$53.3 ฿1,780

-27.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 €8.12

$1.21 ฿40.29

654.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 €2.15

$0.57 ฿18.99

324.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.86 €28.34

$2.35 ฿78.6

1255.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.44 ฿47.96

45.14%

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

$36.7K €32.7K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

77.16%

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

$31.0K €27.5K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

15.51%

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

$135 €120

$62.3 ฿2,083

117.18%

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

$13.61 €12.11

$12.11 ฿405

12.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.85 €29.22

$19.94 ฿666

64.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.75 €31.80

$37.07 ฿1,239

-3.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 €7.96

$6.50 ฿217

37.69%

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

$571 €508

$793 ฿26.5K

-27.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,936

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-24.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €77.4

$53.7 ฿1,796

61.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.85 €35.45

$24.62 ฿823

61.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.9

$90.9 ฿3,036

22.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €130

$71.1 ฿2,378

105.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 €951

$455 ฿15.2K

134.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 €617

$298 ฿9,954

132.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 €1,410

$908 ฿30.4K

74.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 €1,066

$554 ฿18.5K

116.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,588 €5,860

$1,931 ฿64.5K

241.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,548 €4,045

$1,445 ฿48.3K

214.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,379 €2,116

$591 ฿19.7K

302.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.57

-31.96%

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

Last update for La Rochelle: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Rochelle

$694 37.8%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 57.1% $396

Groceries & Markets

La Rochelle

$341 18.5%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 30.9% $105

Eating Out

La Rochelle

$329 17.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 76.1% $250

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Rochelle

$182 9.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 48.1% $87

Clothing & Footwear

La Rochelle

$173 9.4%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 37.4% $65

Getting Around

La Rochelle

$67 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 8.8% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

La Rochelle

$54 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 6.7% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,070 in La Rochelle versus $455 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 303% higher in La Rochelle, 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 $67.0 in La Rochelle versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 La Rochelle

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:53 12:53 PM

17:53 5:53 PM

5 h ahead of La Rochelle

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,535

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

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Between locations

La Rochelle Chiang Mai 9,260 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

La Rochelle
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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

La Rochelle vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Rochelle costs about 99% 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 $2,757 per month in La Rochelle and $1,388 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 $571 per month in La Rochelle and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in La Rochelle, 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 $925, than in La Rochelle at $1,838. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Rochelle it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,838 in La Rochelle. 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, La Rochelle makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.