Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novara and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,483 in Novara, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Novara
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Novara Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Novara

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,483

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,483 per month in Novara vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Novara $1,483
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,293 per month in Novara vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Novara $2,293
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,103 per month in Novara vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Novara $3,103
Chiang Mai $1,903

Novara costs about 60% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Novara sits 9% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.78 €14.92

$2.29 ฿76.5

632.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 €50.3

$19.64 ฿656

187.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 €9.12

$5.61 ฿188

82.71%

Cappuccino

$1.74 €1.55

$1.66 ฿55.6

4.82%

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

$3.46 €3.08

$0.70 ฿23.40

394.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.53

$0.31 ฿10.24

454.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 €4.96

$2.41 ฿80.4

131.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 €4.52

$3.71 ฿124

37.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.95 ฿65.3

-28.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.74

$1.41 ฿47.03

38.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$1.31 ฿43.62

119.85%

Eggs

$3.33 €2.96

$2.18 ฿72.9

52.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 €10.14

$16.65 ฿556

-31.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.76 €7.79

$2.76 ฿92.2

217.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 €11.76

$9.11 ฿304

45.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.39 ฿80.0

5.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 €1.46

$1.03 ฿34.26

60.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 €3.04

$1.63 ฿54.4

109.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$1.50 ฿50.0

44.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$1.29 ฿43.13

50.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.11 ฿37.03

2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 €0.91

$0.72 ฿24.08

43.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

$0.53 ฿17.59

41.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 €5.55

$4.31 ฿144

44.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.96

$17.95 ฿600

-68.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.63

$1.58 ฿52.9

16.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.84 ฿95.0

-19.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.51

$0.86 ฿28.86

96.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.24 €34.01

$53.3 ฿1,780

-28.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.87

$1.21 ฿40.29

260.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.06

$0.57 ฿18.99

110.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.82 €30.97

$2.35 ฿78.6

1381.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.82

$1.44 ฿47.96

42.36%

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

$26.9K €23.9K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

29.68%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

24.65%

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

$176 €157

$62.3 ฿2,083

183.03%

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

$10.41 €9.26

$12.11 ฿405

-14.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.24 €26.90

$19.94 ฿666

51.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.3 €69.6

$37.07 ฿1,239

111.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.96 €16.86

$3.78 ฿126

401.59%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 €10.13

$6.50 ฿217

75.23%

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

$517 €460

$793 ฿26.5K

-34.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,907 €8,813

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-33.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 €110

$53.7 ฿1,796

130.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 €30.27

$24.62 ฿823

38.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.5 €49.40

$90.9 ฿3,036

-38.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €123

$71.1 ฿2,378

94.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$644 €573

$455 ฿15.2K

41.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 €389

$298 ฿9,954

46.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 €932

$908 ฿30.4K

15.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$784 €698

$554 ฿18.5K

41.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,850 €2,535

$1,931 ฿64.5K

47.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,873 €1,666

$1,445 ฿48.3K

29.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,082 €1,852

$591 ฿19.7K

252.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

5.57

-35.01%

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

Last update for Novara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Novara

$438 29.5%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 32% $140

Groceries & Markets

Novara

$269 18.1%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 12.5% $34

Eating Out

Novara

$245 16.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 67.9% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novara

$217 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 56.5% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Novara

$158 10.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 31.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Novara

$101 6.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 50.5% $51

Getting Around

Novara

$55 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 9.8% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $644 in Novara versus $455 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 252% higher in Novara, 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 $57.0 in Novara versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Novara

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:40 7:40 AM

12:40 12:40 PM

5 h ahead of Novara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,910

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Novara Chiang Mai 8,560 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Novara
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

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

Novara costs about 60% 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 $2,225 per month in Novara and $1,388 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 $517 per month in Novara and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Novara, 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 $925, than in Novara at $1,483. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Novara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,483 in Novara. 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, Novara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.