Cost of Living Comparison Between Lezhe and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Lezhe and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,051 per month in Lezhe vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,630 per month in Lezhe vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,208 per month in Lezhe vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lezhe costs about 11% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Lezhe and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Lezhe 24% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.82 ALL 461

$2.08 ฿69.2

179.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.08 ALL 2,939

$19.64 ฿651

88.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.68 ALL 292

$5.65 ฿188

-34.87%

Cappuccino

$1.02 ALL 81.0

$1.81 ฿59.9

-43.65%

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

$1.55 ALL 123

$0.71 ฿23.66

118.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ALL 55.2

$0.32 ฿10.48

118.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 ALL 122

$2.24 ฿74.2

-31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 ALL 198

$3.63 ฿121

-31.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ALL 163

$1.96 ฿65.0

5.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ALL 80.9

$1.50 ฿49.83

-32.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 ALL 165

$1.34 ฿44.32

55.22%

Eggs

$2.78 ALL 220

$2.26 ฿75.1

23.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ALL 844

$16.26 ฿539

-34.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.79 ALL 697

$2.95 ฿98.0

197.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 ALL 1,163

$9.94 ฿330

47.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ALL 162

$2.57 ฿85.3

-20.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ALL 181

$1.06 ฿35.04

115.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 ALL 132

$1.61 ฿53.5

3.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ALL 127

$1.52 ฿50.4

5.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 ALL 83.8

$1.27 ฿42.14

-16.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ALL 99.5

$1.07 ฿35.37

17.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ALL 95.3

$0.72 ฿23.89

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ALL 63.2

$0.51 ฿16.87

56.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 ALL 341

$4.19 ฿139

2.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 ALL 803

$17.87 ฿593

-43.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 ALL 147

$1.69 ฿56.2

9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ALL 148

$2.84 ฿94.1

-34.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ALL 35.35

$0.93 ฿30.70

-51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.47 ALL 1,781

$53.9 ฿1,787

-58.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 ALL 300

$1.23 ฿40.95

208.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.89 ALL 308

$0.58 ฿19.13

570.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.68 ALL 1,480

$2.42 ฿80.4

671.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 ALL 174

$1.41 ฿46.84

56.03%

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

$35.4K ALL 2.8M

$21.4K ฿711.3K

65.09%

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

$25.2K ALL 2.0M

$27.3K ฿906.7K

-7.85%

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

$63.3 ALL 5,014

$63.7 ฿2,112

-0.63%

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

$16.87 ALL 1,337

$12.85 ฿426

31.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.28 ALL 1,369

$20.22 ฿671

-14.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 ALL 4,566

$38.74 ฿1,285

48.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿132

Cinema Ticket

$8.76 ALL 694

$6.74 ฿223

29.97%

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

$191 ALL 15.1K

$778 ฿25.8K

-75.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿484.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 ALL 4,015

$54.3 ฿1,801

-6.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 ALL 4,543

$25.45 ฿844

125.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 ALL 7,842

$94.3 ฿3,129

4.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 ALL 11.8K

$73.4 ฿2,436

103.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 ALL 35.0K

$490 ฿16.2K

-9.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ALL 27.9K

$289 ฿9,596

21.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 ALL 60.4K

$894 ฿29.6K

-14.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 ALL 35.2K

$517 ฿17.1K

-14.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,662 ALL 131.7K

$1,955 ฿64.9K

-14.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,352 ALL 107.1K

$1,477 ฿49.0K

-8.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$618 ALL 49.0K

$602 ฿20.0K

2.61%

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 Lezhe: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $441 in Lezhe versus $490 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 3% higher in Lezhe, 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 Lezhe versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $240 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Lezhe costs about 11% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,576 per month in Lezhe and $1,421 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 $191 per month in Lezhe and $778 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Lezhe, 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 $947, than in Lezhe at $1,051. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lezhe it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $947 versus $1,051 in Lezhe. 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, Lezhe makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.