Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lecco and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,828 in Lecco, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Lecco, Italy
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Lecco
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,828
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,828 per month in Lecco vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Lecco $1,828
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,729 per month in Lecco vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Lecco $2,729
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,629 per month in Lecco vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Lecco $3,629
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Lecco costs about 95% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lecco sits 34% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lecco
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.43 €20.10
$2.24 ฿75.6
901.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.8 €81.4
$19.00 ฿641
378.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.21 €11.84
$5.55 ฿187
138.02%
Cappuccino
$2.05 €1.84
$1.67 ฿56.5
22.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 €3.10
$0.64 ฿21.55
440.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 €1.52
$0.31 ฿10.31
445.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.60 €5.92
$2.36 ฿79.6
179.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.86 €5.25
$3.66 ฿124
60.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lecco
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 €1.51
$1.95 ฿65.8
-13.33%
White Bread (500g)
$2.39 €2.14
$1.44 ฿48.48
65.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.04 €2.73
$1.33 ฿45.04
128.57%
Eggs
$4.27 €3.83
$2.28 ฿77.1
87.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.65 €15.81
$16.45 ฿555
7.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.14 €11.78
$2.78 ฿93.9
372.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.87 €20.49
$9.31 ฿314
145.65%
Apples (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.35 ฿79.4
-22.55%
Banana (1kg)
$2.34 €2.10
$0.97 ฿32.80
141.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.33 €2.98
$1.60 ฿53.9
108.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.79 €3.40
$1.50 ฿50.6
152.67%
Potato (1kg)
$2.38 €2.14
$1.28 ฿43.12
85.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 €1.41
$1.10 ฿37.19
42.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 €1.36
$0.71 ฿23.82
114.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 €0.50
$0.49 ฿16.37
14.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.77 €6.06
$4.14 ฿140
63.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.03 €7.19
$17.52 ฿591
-54.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 €1.75
$1.61 ฿54.5
21.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 €2.27
$2.78 ฿94.0
-8.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Lecco
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.29 €2.05
$0.87 ฿29.31
163.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$63.5 €56.9
$54.1 ฿1,826
17.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.92 €7.10
$1.16 ฿39.06
582.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.29 €2.05
$0.53 ฿17.80
332.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.71 €35.58
$2.42 ฿81.8
1540.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.04 €1.83
$1.45 ฿48.90
40.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K €32.0K
$21.1K ฿710.7K
69.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K €30.9K
$26.9K ฿909.3K
28.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lecco
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$220 €197
$62.2 ฿2,098
253.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.17 €11.80
$12.17 ฿411
8.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.58 €26.51
$20.12 ฿679
47.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lecco
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.30 €25.36
$37.31 ฿1,259
-24.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.05 €9.91
$3.77 ฿127
193.10%
Cinema Ticket
$11.28 €10.11
$6.49 ฿219
73.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lecco
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$788 €706
$736 ฿24.8K
7.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.8K
$14.8K ฿498.3K
26.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lecco
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$100 €89.8
$53.4 ฿1,801
87.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.91 €34.86
$24.64 ฿831
57.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 €103
$91.5 ฿3,087
25.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$168 €150
$71.9 ฿2,428
133.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lecco
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$838 €751
$482 ฿16.3K
73.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$557 €499
$309 ฿10.4K
80.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,494 €1,339
$1,006 ฿33.9K
48.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$681 €610
$633 ฿21.4K
7.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,857 €3,456
$2,363 ฿79.8K
63.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,697 €1,520
$1,589 ฿53.6K
6.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lecco
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,283 €2,045
$590 ฿19.9K
287.05%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.18
5.57
-42.91%

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

Last update for Lecco: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lecco
$557
Chiang Mai
$309 44.6% $248
Groceries & Markets
Lecco
$367
Chiang Mai
$234 36.1% $132
Eating Out
Lecco
$309
Chiang Mai
$78 74.9% $232
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lecco
$262
Chiang Mai
$94 64% $168
Clothing & Footwear
Lecco
$190
Chiang Mai
$109 42.8% $81
Getting Around
Lecco
$92
Chiang Mai
$61 33.3% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Lecco
$51
Chiang Mai
$50 1.1% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $838 in Lecco 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 Lecco are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Lecco versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Lecco
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
04:59 4:59 AM
10:59 10:59 AM
6 h ahead of Lecco
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
45,501
127,240
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lecco Chiang Mai 8,490 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lecco
  • 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
Lecco vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lecco or Chiang Mai?
Lecco costs about 95% 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 Lecco and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,742 per month in Lecco 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, Lecco or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $838 in Lecco.
How do childcare costs compare in Lecco and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $788 per month in Lecco 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 Lecco or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 56% more in Lecco, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Lecco or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,828 in Lecco and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Lecco 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 Lecco or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lecco makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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