Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madona and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,128 in Madona, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Madona
🇱🇻 Latvia
$1,128
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,128 per month in Madona vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Madona $1,128
  • Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,730 per month in Madona vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Madona $1,730
  • Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,331 per month in Madona vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Madona $2,331
  • Chiang Mai $1,903

Madona costs about 22% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Madona and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Madona 17% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Madona
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.87 €15.00
$2.29 ฿76.5
636.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.8 €59.4
$19.64 ฿656
240.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.28 €8.25
$5.61 ฿188
65.42%
Cappuccino
$3.75 €3.33
$1.66 ฿55.6
125.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 €1.40
$0.70 ฿23.40
124.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.20 €1.06
$0.31 ฿10.24
287.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.60 €4.98
$2.41 ฿80.4
132.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.91 €4.37
$3.71 ฿124
32.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Madona
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.95 ฿65.3
-38.46%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.41 ฿47.03
4.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.48 €2.21
$1.31 ฿43.62
89.31%
Eggs
$3.60 €3.20
$2.18 ฿72.9
65.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.34 €9.20
$16.65 ฿556
-37.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.48 €7.54
$2.76 ฿92.2
207.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.57 €12.07
$9.11 ฿304
48.96%
Apples (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$2.39 ฿80.0
-12.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 €1.57
$1.03 ฿34.26
71.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 €2.21
$1.63 ฿54.4
52.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.21 €2.85
$1.50 ฿50.0
114.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 €0.73
$1.29 ฿43.13
-36.43%
Onion (1kg)
$0.90 €0.80
$1.11 ฿37.03
-18.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.74 €1.55
$0.72 ฿24.08
141.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 €0.78
$0.53 ฿17.59
64.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.85 €6.09
$4.31 ฿144
58.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.64 €6.79
$17.95 ฿600
-57.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.58 ฿52.9
27.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 €1.86
$2.84 ฿95.0
-26.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Madona
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.86 ฿28.86
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$53.3 ฿1,780
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.42 €3.05
$1.21 ฿40.29
182.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.98 €0.87
$0.57 ฿18.99
71.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.80 €15.83
$2.35 ฿78.6
657.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 €1.85
$1.44 ฿47.96
44.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K €23.9K
$20.7K ฿692.8K
29.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.3K €27.0K
$26.8K ฿895.7K
13.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madona
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$365 €325
$62.3 ฿2,083
485.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.58 €17.42
$12.11 ฿405
61.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.97 €17.76
$19.94 ฿666
0.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Madona
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.19 €25.07
$37.07 ฿1,239
-23.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.78 ฿126
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.53 €4.92
$6.50 ฿217
-14.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Madona
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €594
$793 ฿26.5K
-15.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.9K €15.9K
$14.8K ฿494.9K
20.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Madona
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.9 €62.2
$53.7 ฿1,796
30.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.0 €45.37
$24.62 ฿823
107.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.8 €77.2
$90.9 ฿3,036
-4.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$138 €123
$71.1 ฿2,378
93.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Madona
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$455 ฿15.2K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$298 ฿9,954
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$908 ฿30.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$554 ฿18.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$1,931 ฿64.5K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,445 ฿48.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Madona
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$591 ฿19.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
5.57
-14.36%

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

Last update for Madona: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Madona
$405
Chiang Mai
$94 76.7% $310
Groceries & Markets
Madona
$264
Chiang Mai
$235 10.6% $28
Eating Out
Madona
$257
Chiang Mai
$79 69.4% $178
Clothing & Footwear
Madona
$155
Chiang Mai
$108 30.4% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Madona
$39
Chiang Mai
$50 27.5% $11
Getting Around
Madona
$8.3 *
Chiang Mai
$61 632% $52
Accommodation & Living
Madona
- *
Chiang Mai
$298

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Madona versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇱🇻 Madona
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
00:19 12:19 AM
04:19 4:19 AM
4 h ahead of Madona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,800
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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 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
  • Madona Chiang Mai 7,220 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Madona
  • 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
Madona vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Madona or Chiang Mai?
Madona costs about 22% 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 Madona and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,692 per month in Madona and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do dining costs compare in Madona and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Madona and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Madona or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 12% more in Madona, 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 $1,000/month in Madona or in Chiang Mai?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Madona at $1,128. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Madona or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,128 in Madona. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Madona 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 Madona or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Madona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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