Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Linz and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,088 in Linz, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Linz
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Linz Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Linz

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,088

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,088 per month in Linz vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Linz $2,088
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,246 per month in Linz vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Linz $3,246
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,403 per month in Linz vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Linz $4,403
Chiang Mai $1,979

Linz costs about 123% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Linz sits 53% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.74 €14.95

$2.24 ฿75.5

647.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 €69.7

$19.00 ฿640

310.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 €11.50

$5.55 ฿187

131.89%

Cappuccino

$4.51 €4.03

$1.67 ฿56.4

170.06%

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

$3.88 €3.47

$0.64 ฿21.51

506.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.49

$0.31 ฿10.29

800.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 €5.45

$2.36 ฿79.5

158.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.11

$3.66 ฿123

56.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.95 ฿65.7

-24.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 €2.42

$1.44 ฿48.41

88.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.33 ฿44.97

30.83%

Eggs

$4.67 €4.17

$2.28 ฿77.0

104.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.38 €17.31

$16.45 ฿554

17.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.35 €12.82

$2.78 ฿93.8

416.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.07 €18.82

$9.31 ฿314

126.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.41

$2.35 ฿79.3

14.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 €2.03

$0.97 ฿32.75

134.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 €2.90

$1.60 ฿53.8

103.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 €4.94

$1.50 ฿50.6

268.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.09

$1.28 ฿43.06

82.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 €2.02

$1.10 ฿37.14

105.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 €1.78

$0.71 ฿23.79

180.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.88

$0.49 ฿16.34

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.96 €6.22

$4.14 ฿140

68.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 €5.80

$17.52 ฿590

-62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.46

$1.61 ฿54.4

1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.53

$2.78 ฿93.8

-38.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 €2.97

$0.87 ฿29.27

281.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 €58.0

$54.1 ฿1,823

20.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.17 €6.40

$1.16 ฿39.00

518.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$0.53 ฿17.78

105.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.63 €24.68

$2.42 ฿81.6

1041.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.45 ฿48.82

28.28%

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

$29.7K €26.5K

$21.1K ฿709.7K

40.93%

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

$34.2K €30.5K

$26.9K ฿907.9K

26.82%

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

$288 €257

$62.2 ฿2,095

363.68%

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

$15.08 €13.47

$12.17 ฿410

23.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.57 €36.24

$20.12 ฿678

101.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.43 €39.68

$37.31 ฿1,257

19.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.43 €20.03

$3.77 ฿127

494.96%

Cinema Ticket

$13.34 €11.92

$6.49 ฿219

105.55%

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

$449 €401

$736 ฿24.8K

-39.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K €12.4K

$14.8K ฿497.6K

-5.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.6 €88.1

$53.4 ฿1,799

84.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.29 €35.10

$24.64 ฿830

59.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 €116

$91.5 ฿3,083

41.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$71.9 ฿2,424

73.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$804 €718

$482 ฿16.3K

66.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 €649

$309 ฿10.4K

135.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 €1,393

$1,006 ฿33.9K

55.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,408 €1,258

$633 ฿21.3K

122.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,606 €5,007

$2,363 ฿79.6K

137.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,692 €3,298

$1,589 ฿53.6K

132.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,861 €2,556

$590 ฿19.9K

385.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.66

5.57

-34.29%

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

Last update for Linz: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Linz

$726 34.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 57.5% $418

Groceries & Markets

Linz

$384 18.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 39% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Linz

$344 16.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 72.5% $249

Eating Out

Linz

$295 14.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 73.7% $218

Clothing & Footwear

Linz

$177 8.5%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 38.5% $68

Getting Around

Linz

$91 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 32.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Linz

$71 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 29.3% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $804 in Linz 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 Linz are about 4.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Linz versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Linz

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:22 3:22 AM

09:22 9:22 AM

6 h ahead of Linz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

207,812

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Linz Chiang Mai 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Linz
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

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

Linz costs about 123% 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 $3,133 per month in Linz and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $804 in Linz.

Kindergarten costs $449 per month in Linz and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Linz, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,088 in Linz and $936 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,088 in Linz. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Linz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.