Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nikaia and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,369 in Nikaia, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Nikaia
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Nikaia Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Nikaia

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,369

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,369 per month in Nikaia vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nikaia $1,369
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,104 per month in Nikaia vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nikaia $2,104
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,839 per month in Nikaia vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nikaia $2,839
Chiang Mai $1,999

Nikaia costs about 46% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 €9.83

$2.13 ฿72.0

417.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 €51.5

$18.62 ฿628

210.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 €7.80

$5.60 ฿189

56.07%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.67

$1.66 ฿56.1

148.19%

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

$2.41 €2.15

$0.65 ฿21.82

270.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.30 ฿10.29

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 €4.05

$2.32 ฿78.3

95.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 €4.39

$3.67 ฿124

34.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.41

$2.02 ฿68.0

-21.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.41 ฿47.49

0.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 €2.20

$1.39 ฿46.94

76.98%

Eggs

$4.96 €4.43

$2.37 ฿79.9

109.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 €11.08

$16.52 ฿557

-24.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 €8.88

$2.67 ฿90.1

272.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.48 €13.81

$9.02 ฿304

71.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$2.40 ฿80.9

-7.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$1.04 ฿35.12

91.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.66 ฿56.0

-18.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.56 ฿52.6

36.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.24 ฿41.75

-11.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.09 ฿36.65

3.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 €0.75

$0.76 ฿25.70

10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.76

$0.51 ฿17.34

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 €4.88

$4.12 ฿139

32.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.28 €6.49

$17.93 ฿605

-59.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.60

$1.62 ฿54.8

10.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.82 ฿95.2

-17.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 €0.88

$0.93 ฿31.52

5.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.46 €44.12

$52.9 ฿1,784

-6.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 €3.88

$1.18 ฿39.69

268.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 €0.88

$0.17 ฿5.78

482.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.04 €15.20

$1.81 ฿61.1

841.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.98

$1.47 ฿49.67

51.02%

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

$28.4K €25.3K

$21.0K ฿708.7K

35.17%

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

$23.8K €21.2K

$26.5K ฿894.4K

-10.27%

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

$173 €154

$62.6 ฿2,110

176.58%

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

$25.55 €22.79

$11.60 ฿391

120.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.76 €24.76

$20.30 ฿685

36.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 €45.55

$37.88 ฿1,278

34.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.44 €22.69

$3.70 ฿125

587.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.53 €8.50

$6.51 ฿220

46.39%

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

$476 €424

$727 ฿24.5K

-34.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,823 €4,302

$16.6K ฿559.0K

-70.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 €73.9

$53.5 ฿1,806

54.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.33 €34.19

$24.80 ฿836

54.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 €73.6

$90.4 ฿3,049

-8.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €96.9

$72.0 ฿2,428

50.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$486 €434

$481 ฿16.2K

1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 €341

$310 ฿10.5K

23.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$749 €668

$1,058 ฿35.7K

-29.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 €552

$659 ฿22.2K

-6.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,490 €2,221

$2,418 ฿81.5K

2.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,983 €1,769

$1,609 ฿54.3K

23.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

5.57

-21.36%

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

Last update for Nikaia: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nikaia

$382 27.9%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 18.8% $72

Groceries & Markets

Nikaia

$280 20.4%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 15.4% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nikaia

$226 16.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 58.3% $132

Eating Out

Nikaia

$208 15.2%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 63.2% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Nikaia

$141 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 22.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Nikaia

$70 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 27.4% $19

Getting Around

Nikaia

$63 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 6.4% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $486 in Nikaia versus $481 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Nikaia versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $280 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Nikaia

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

17:16 5:16 PM

5 h ahead of Nikaia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,430

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Nikaia Chiang Mai 7,470 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Nikaia
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

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

Nikaia costs about 46% 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 $2,054 per month in Nikaia and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $486 in Nikaia and $481 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Nikaia and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Nikaia, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,369 in Nikaia and $935 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,369 in Nikaia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.