Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mestre and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,784 in Mestre, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Mestre
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Mestre Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Mestre

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,784

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,784 per month in Mestre vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mestre $1,784
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,808 per month in Mestre vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mestre $2,808
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,832 per month in Mestre vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mestre $3,832
Chiang Mai $1,979

Mestre costs about 91% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.15 €11.79

$2.24 ฿75.5

487.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 €81.6

$19.00 ฿640

379.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 €11.15

$5.55 ฿187

124.14%

Cappuccino

$2.04 €1.83

$1.67 ฿56.4

22.16%

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

$2.95 €2.65

$0.64 ฿21.51

360.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.31

$0.31 ฿10.29

370.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 €5.93

$2.36 ฿79.5

180.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 €4.84

$3.66 ฿123

47.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.95 ฿65.7

-11.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 €2.25

$1.44 ฿48.41

74.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 €2.88

$1.33 ฿44.97

142.11%

Eggs

$3.76 €3.37

$2.28 ฿77.0

64.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 €15.66

$16.45 ฿554

6.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 €11.29

$2.78 ฿93.8

353.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.49 €19.26

$9.31 ฿314

130.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.74

$2.35 ฿79.3

30.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.72

$0.97 ฿32.75

97.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 €3.05

$1.60 ฿53.8

113.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 €2.80

$1.50 ฿50.6

108.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.79

$1.28 ฿43.06

55.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 €2.04

$1.10 ฿37.14

107.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 €1.48

$0.71 ฿23.79

132.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$0.49 ฿16.34

24.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.90 €6.19

$4.14 ฿140

66.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.88 €6.17

$17.52 ฿590

-60.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.61 ฿54.4

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.54

$2.78 ฿93.8

-38.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.52

$0.87 ฿29.27

95.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.79 €36.55

$54.1 ฿1,823

-24.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.24

$1.16 ฿39.00

307.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 €1.26

$0.53 ฿17.78

164.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.66 €27.48

$2.42 ฿81.6

1166.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.45 ฿48.82

39.31%

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

$35.4K €31.7K

$21.1K ฿709.7K

68.24%

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

$36.9K €33.1K

$26.9K ฿907.9K

37.11%

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

$205 €184

$62.2 ฿2,095

230.53%

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

$8.66 €7.76

$12.17 ฿410

-28.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.29 €26.24

$20.12 ฿678

45.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.25 €43.23

$37.31 ฿1,257

29.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.01 €17.93

$3.77 ฿127

430.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 €9.97

$6.49 ฿219

71.49%

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

$682 €611

$736 ฿24.8K

-7.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,974

$14.8K ฿497.6K

-24.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 €70.7

$53.4 ฿1,799

47.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.06 €30.53

$24.64 ฿830

38.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.1

$91.5 ฿3,083

14.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €150

$71.9 ฿2,424

132.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 €768

$482 ฿16.3K

77.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 €585

$309 ฿10.4K

111.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 €1,308

$1,006 ฿33.9K

45.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,042

$633 ฿21.3K

83.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,871 €1,677

$2,363 ฿79.6K

-20.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,579 €1,415

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-0.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,909 €1,711

$590 ฿19.9K

223.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

5.57

-40.57%

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

Last update for Mestre: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mestre

$653 36.6%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 52.7% $344

Groceries & Markets

Mestre

$355 19.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 34.1% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mestre

$243 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 61.2% $149

Eating Out

Mestre

$229 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 66.1% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Mestre

$173 9.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 37.3% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Mestre

$71 4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 28.7% $20

Getting Around

Mestre

$59 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 3.4% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $857 in Mestre 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 Mestre are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Mestre versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $355 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Mestre

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

13:14 1:14 PM

6 h ahead of Mestre

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,377

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Mestre Chiang Mai 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Mestre
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

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

Mestre costs about 91% 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 $2,675 per month in Mestre 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 $857 in Mestre.

Kindergarten costs $682 per month in Mestre 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 52% more in Mestre, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,784 in Mestre 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 $1,784 in Mestre. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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