Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lac and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,088 in Lac, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Lac
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Lac Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Lac

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,088

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,088 per month in Lac vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lac $1,088
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,673 per month in Lac vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lac $1,673
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,257 per month in Lac vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lac $2,257
Chiang Mai $1,999

Lac costs about 16% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lac and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Lac 20% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.79 ALL 793

$2.13 ฿72.0

359.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.42 ALL 3,114

$18.62 ฿628

106.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.58 ALL 614

$5.60 ฿189

35.36%

Cappuccino

$1.84 ALL 149

$1.66 ฿56.1

10.84%

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

$1.84 ALL 149

$0.65 ฿21.82

183.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ALL 51.9

$0.30 ฿10.29

113.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ALL 202

$2.32 ฿78.3

7.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 ALL 274

$3.67 ฿124

-7.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ALL 160

$2.02 ฿68.0

-1.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ALL 80.2

$1.41 ฿47.49

-29.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ALL 165

$1.39 ฿46.94

46.04%

Eggs

$2.71 ALL 220

$2.37 ฿79.9

14.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.79 ALL 794

$16.52 ฿557

-40.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 ALL 701

$2.67 ฿90.1

223.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 ALL 1,161

$9.02 ฿304

58.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ALL 154

$2.40 ฿80.9

-20.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 ALL 181

$1.04 ฿35.12

114.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ALL 118

$1.66 ฿56.0

-12.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ALL 129

$1.56 ฿52.6

1.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 ALL 85.7

$1.24 ฿41.75

-14.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 ALL 105

$1.09 ฿36.65

19.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ALL 97.3

$0.76 ฿25.70

57.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ALL 63.3

$0.51 ฿17.34

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 ALL 353

$4.12 ฿139

5.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.93 ALL 643

$17.93 ฿605

-55.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ALL 141

$1.62 ฿54.8

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 ALL 104

$2.82 ฿95.2

-54.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ALL 38.55

$0.93 ฿31.52

-48.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.63 ALL 1,591

$52.9 ฿1,784

-62.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 ALL 305

$1.18 ฿39.69

218.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.80 ALL 308

$0.17 ฿5.78

2135.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.43 ALL 1,494

$1.81 ฿61.1

918.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 ALL 177

$1.47 ฿49.67

48.30%

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

$33.9K ALL 2.7M

$21.0K ฿708.7K

61.30%

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

$24.3K ALL 2.0M

$26.5K ฿894.4K

-8.48%

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

$61.8 ALL 5,010

$62.6 ฿2,110

-1.18%

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

$16.46 ALL 1,334

$11.60 ฿391

41.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.34 ALL 1,406

$20.30 ฿685

-14.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.3 ALL 4,728

$37.88 ฿1,278

54.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$8.72 ALL 707

$6.51 ฿220

33.95%

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

$98.7 ALL 7,997

$727 ฿24.5K

-86.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.97 ALL 3,969

$53.5 ฿1,806

-8.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 ALL 4,417

$24.80 ฿836

119.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 ALL 8,078

$90.4 ฿3,049

10.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 ALL 11.9K

$72.0 ฿2,428

103.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 ALL 38.8K

$481 ฿16.2K

-0.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 ALL 25.5K

$310 ฿10.5K

1.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 ALL 57.1K

$1,058 ฿35.7K

-33.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$475 ALL 38.5K

$659 ฿22.2K

-27.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,996 ALL 161.7K

$2,418 ฿81.5K

-17.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,290 ALL 104.5K

$1,609 ฿54.3K

-19.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-10.23%

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

Last update for Lac: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lac

$315 28.9%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 1.5% $4.7

Groceries & Markets

Lac

$248 22.8%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 4.6% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Lac

$157 14.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 31.2% $49

Eating Out

Lac

$152 14%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 49.7% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lac

$96 8.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 1.2% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Lac

$76 7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 32.8% $25

Getting Around

Lac

$44 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 32.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Lac versus $481 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 $38 in Lac versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $248 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Lac

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:03 1:03 PM

19:03 7:03 PM

6 h ahead of Lac

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,086

127,240

💱 Currency

Albanian Lek ALL L

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 ALL = 1.23 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ALL – Albanian Lek Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇱 Albanian Lek (L)

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 81.05 ALL (100 ALL = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 90.86 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to ALL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lac Chiang Mai 7,760 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Lac
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

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

Lac costs about 16% 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 $1,632 per month in Lac and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $478 in Lac and $481 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $99 per month in Lac and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Lac, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,088 in Lac and $935 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,088 in Lac. 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.