Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Les Escaldes and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Les Escaldes: $358 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Les Escaldes
🇦🇩 Andorra
$358
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $358 per month in Les Escaldes vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Les Escaldes $358
  • Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,794 per month in Les Escaldes vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Les Escaldes $1,794
  • Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $3,230 per month in Les Escaldes vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Les Escaldes $3,230
  • Chiang Mai $1,914

Les Escaldes is about 62% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Les Escaldes and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Les Escaldes 73% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Les Escaldes
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.70 €13.08
$2.26 ฿75.4
550.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.84 €34.55
$19.18 ฿641
102.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.30 €11.83
$5.59 ฿187
137.92%
Cappuccino
$2.54 €2.26
$1.72 ฿57.6
47.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 €2.25
$0.64 ฿21.54
295.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 €1.50
$0.33 ฿11.18
412.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.99 €2.66
$2.36 ฿78.7
26.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 €2.81
$3.90 ฿130
-18.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Les Escaldes
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.14 €1.90
$2.05 ฿68.6
4.39%
White Bread (500g)
-
$1.40 ฿46.70
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
-
$1.28 ฿42.89
-
Eggs
$4.32 €3.85
$2.25 ฿75.3
92.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$16.94 ฿566
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$2.74 ฿91.6
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.05 €15.16
$9.36 ฿313
82.16%
Apples (1kg)
$3.96 €3.52
$2.40 ฿80.3
65.00%
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.01 ฿33.92
-
Oranges (1kg)
-
$1.61 ฿53.9
-
Tomato (1kg)
-
$1.52 ฿50.7
-
Potato (1kg)
-
$1.28 ฿42.90
-
Onion (1kg)
-
$1.11 ฿37.22
-
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$0.72 ฿24.09
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.52 ฿17.54
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.49 €4.89
$4.33 ฿145
26.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.60 €5.87
$17.73 ฿593
-62.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.63 ฿54.4
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.85 ฿95.3
-
🚌 Getting Around
Les Escaldes
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.27 €2.02
$0.85 ฿28.31
167.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$53.9 ฿1,801
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$1.17 ฿39.18
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.57 ฿19.00
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$2.37 ฿79.2
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.45 ฿48.32
25.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$20.5K ฿684.3K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$26.5K ฿886.1K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Les Escaldes
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$62.3 ฿2,083
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$12.27 ฿410
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$19.97 ฿668
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Les Escaldes
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$37.91 ฿1,267
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.76 ฿126
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$6.71 ฿224
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Les Escaldes
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$797 ฿26.6K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$14.8K ฿495.7K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Les Escaldes
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$53.3 ฿1,780
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$25.05 ฿837
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$91.6 ฿3,062
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$73.5 ฿2,455
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Les Escaldes
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$464 ฿15.5K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$305 ฿10.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,802 €2,493
$915 ฿30.6K
206.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,246 €1,998
$552 ฿18.5K
306.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$1,912 ฿63.9K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$11.1K €9,900
$1,438 ฿48.1K
673.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Les Escaldes
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,608 €2,319
$595 ฿19.9K
338.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
5.57
-

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

Last update for Les Escaldes: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Eating Out
Les Escaldes
$226
Chiang Mai
$79 65.1% $147
Groceries & Markets
Les Escaldes
$123 *
Chiang Mai
$238 93.8% $115
Getting Around
Les Escaldes
$9.1 *
Chiang Mai
$61 577% $52
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Les Escaldes
- *
Chiang Mai
$95
Sport & Entertainment
Les Escaldes
- *
Chiang Mai
$51
Clothing & Footwear
Les Escaldes
- *
Chiang Mai
$110
Accommodation & Living
Les Escaldes
- *
Chiang Mai
$305

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 338% higher in Les Escaldes, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Les Escaldes versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $123 in Les Escaldes vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Les Escaldes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇦🇩 Les Escaldes
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
13:06 1:06 PM
18:06 6:06 PM
5 h ahead of Les Escaldes
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,853
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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Les Escaldes Chiang Mai 9,200 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Les Escaldes
  • 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
Les Escaldes vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Les Escaldes or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 162% more than Les Escaldes, 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 Les Escaldes and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $537 per month in Les Escaldes and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does it cost to live in Les Escaldes compared to Chiang Mai?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $358 in Les Escaldes and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 162%.
Are groceries more expensive in Les Escaldes or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 94% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Les Escaldes or in Chiang Mai?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Les Escaldes, where all-in costs run around $358, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Les Escaldes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Les Escaldes or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Les Escaldes costs $358 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Les Escaldes compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Les Escaldes or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Les Escaldes. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Les Escaldes vs other spots: cost of living compared

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