Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pec and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Pec: $669 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Pec
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Pec Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Pec

🇽🇰 Kosovo

$669

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $669 per month in Pec vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pec $669
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,085 per month in Pec vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pec $1,085
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,501 per month in Pec vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pec $1,501
Chiang Mai $1,979

Pec is about 28% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pec and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Pec 51% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 €4.93

$2.24 ฿75.6

145.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.40 €20.06

$19.00 ฿641

17.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 €4.09

$5.55 ฿187

-17.84%

Cappuccino

$1.31 €1.17

$1.67 ฿56.5

-21.56%

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

$1.59 €1.42

$0.64 ฿21.54

148.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.31 ฿10.31

245.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 €1.78

$2.36 ฿79.5

-15.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.55

$3.66 ฿124

-22.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.95 ฿65.7

-32.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 €0.60

$1.44 ฿48.46

-53.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.33 ฿45.03

Eggs

$1.83 €1.64

$2.28 ฿77.1

-19.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 €7.13

$16.45 ฿555

-51.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 €6.07

$2.78 ฿93.9

143.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.42 €11.12

$9.31 ฿314

33.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 €1.29

$2.35 ฿79.4

-38.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 €1.27

$0.97 ฿32.79

46.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.60 ฿53.9

-31.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.50 ฿50.6

10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 €0.82

$1.28 ฿43.11

-28.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 €0.77

$1.10 ฿37.18

-21.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 €0.76

$0.71 ฿23.82

18.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 €0.44

$0.49 ฿16.36

2.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 €2.55

$4.14 ฿140

-31.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.48 €4.91

$17.52 ฿591

-68.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.82

$1.61 ฿54.5

-43.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.08

$2.78 ฿93.9

-56.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.16 ฿39.04

87.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.53 ฿17.80

7.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 €2.95

$2.42 ฿81.7

36.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.45 ฿48.88

1.38%

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

$22.2K €19.8K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

5.23%

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

$25.6K €22.9K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-4.93%

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

$103 €92.6

$62.2 ฿2,098

66.38%

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

$11.13 €9.96

$12.17 ฿411

-8.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.36 €20.92

$20.12 ฿679

16.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.69 €20.32

$37.31 ฿1,259

-39.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.08 €30.52

$3.77 ฿127

803.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 €4.08

$6.49 ฿219

-29.74%

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

$151 €135

$736 ฿24.8K

-79.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,916 €2,611

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-80.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 €39.04

$53.4 ฿1,801

-18.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.39 €24.53

$24.64 ฿831

11.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 €57.6

$91.5 ฿3,087

-29.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 €73.0

$71.9 ฿2,427

13.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$166 €149

$482 ฿16.3K

-65.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$110 €98.2

$309 ฿10.4K

-64.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 €303

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-66.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 €246

$633 ฿21.4K

-56.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,239 €1,110

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-47.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,056 €946

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-33.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 €418

$590 ฿19.9K

-20.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

5.57

-19.21%

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

Last update for Pec: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pec

$188 28%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 25% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pec

$138 20.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 31.5% $43

Accommodation & Living

Pec

$110 16.4%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 182% $199

Eating Out

Pec

$100 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 22.2% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Pec

$98 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 11.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Pec

$32 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 58.1% $18

Getting Around

Pec

$5 * 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 1118% $56

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $166 in Pec 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 run about 26% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $22 in Pec versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Pec vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Pec wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇽🇰 Pec

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:00 8:00 PM

02:00 2:00 AM

6 h ahead of Pec

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,962

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Pec Chiang Mai 7,700 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Pec
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 40% more than Pec, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,004 per month in Pec 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 Pec, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $166 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Pec and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Pec, where all-in costs run around $669, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Pec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pec – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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