Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Piacenza and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,826 in Piacenza, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Piacenza
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,826
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,826 per month in Piacenza vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Piacenza $1,826
  • Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,772 per month in Piacenza vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Piacenza $2,772
  • Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $3,719 per month in Piacenza vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Piacenza $3,719
  • Chiang Mai $1,914

Piacenza costs about 95% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Piacenza sits 35% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Piacenza
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.46 €19.98
$2.26 ฿75.4
893.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.6 €69.0
$19.18 ฿641
304.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.13 €9.90
$5.59 ฿187
99.11%
Cappuccino
$1.90 €1.69
$1.72 ฿57.6
10.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 €2.87
$0.64 ฿21.54
404.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 €1.16
$0.33 ฿11.18
296.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.64 €5.02
$2.36 ฿78.7
138.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.49 €4.00
$3.90 ฿130
15.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Piacenza
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.40
$2.05 ฿68.6
-23.41%
White Bread (500g)
$3.03 €2.70
$1.40 ฿46.70
116.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.65 €2.35
$1.28 ฿42.89
107.03%
Eggs
$3.26 €2.90
$2.25 ฿75.3
44.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.81 €13.18
$16.94 ฿566
-12.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.89 €11.46
$2.74 ฿91.6
370.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$24.42 €21.72
$9.36 ฿313
160.90%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 €2.62
$2.40 ฿80.3
22.92%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 €2.53
$1.01 ฿33.92
181.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.91 €2.59
$1.61 ฿53.9
80.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.95 €3.51
$1.52 ฿50.7
159.87%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.28 ฿42.90
47.66%
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 €1.78
$1.11 ฿37.22
80.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 €1.25
$0.72 ฿24.09
94.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.42 €0.37
$0.52 ฿17.54
-19.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.31 €5.61
$4.33 ฿145
45.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.84 €6.09
$17.73 ฿593
-61.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 €1.72
$1.63 ฿54.4
19.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 €3.05
$2.85 ฿95.3
20.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Piacenza
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 €2.01
$0.85 ฿28.31
165.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.6 €49.41
$53.9 ฿1,801
3.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.78 €6.92
$1.17 ฿39.18
564.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.26 €2.01
$0.57 ฿19.00
296.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.98 €15.10
$2.37 ฿79.2
616.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.99 €1.77
$1.45 ฿48.32
37.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.2K €27.7K
$20.5K ฿684.3K
52.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.8K €32.7K
$26.5K ฿886.1K
38.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Piacenza
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$270 €240
$62.3 ฿2,083
332.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.46 €13.75
$12.27 ฿410
26.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.49 €28.90
$19.97 ฿668
62.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Piacenza
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.8 €45.14
$37.91 ฿1,267
33.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$31.07 €27.63
$3.76 ฿126
726.33%
Cinema Ticket
$12.09 €10.75
$6.71 ฿224
80.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Piacenza
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$398 €354
$797 ฿26.6K
-50.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$14.8K ฿495.7K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Piacenza
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.8 €71.8
$53.3 ฿1,780
51.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.01 €37.37
$25.05 ฿837
67.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.2 €84.7
$91.6 ฿3,062
3.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 €124
$73.5 ฿2,455
89.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Piacenza
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$654 €582
$464 ฿15.5K
40.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$532 €473
$305 ฿10.2K
74.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$984 €875
$915 ฿30.6K
7.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$823 €732
$552 ฿18.5K
48.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,953 €2,627
$1,912 ฿63.9K
54.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,846 €1,642
$1,438 ฿48.1K
28.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Piacenza
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,985 €1,766
$595 ฿19.9K
233.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.8
5.57
-13.82%

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

Last update for Piacenza: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Piacenza
$532
Chiang Mai
$305 42.7% $227
Groceries & Markets
Piacenza
$365
Chiang Mai
$238 34.9% $127
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Piacenza
$318
Chiang Mai
$95 70.2% $223
Eating Out
Piacenza
$291
Chiang Mai
$79 72.9% $212
Clothing & Footwear
Piacenza
$161
Chiang Mai
$110 31.8% $51
Getting Around
Piacenza
$84
Chiang Mai
$61 26.7% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Piacenza
$75
Chiang Mai
$51 31.5% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $654 in Piacenza versus $464 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 233% higher in Piacenza, 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 $78.0 in Piacenza versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Piacenza
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
17:22 5:22 PM
22:22 10:22 PM
5 h ahead of Piacenza
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
102,191
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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 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
  • Piacenza Chiang Mai 8,490 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Piacenza
  • 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
Piacenza vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Piacenza or Chiang Mai?
Piacenza costs about 95% 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 Piacenza and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,738 per month in Piacenza and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Piacenza or Chiang Mai?
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.
How do childcare costs compare in Piacenza and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $398 per month in Piacenza and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Piacenza or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 54% more in Piacenza, 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 Piacenza or in Chiang Mai?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Piacenza at $1,826. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Piacenza it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Piacenza or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,826 in Piacenza. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Piacenza 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 Piacenza or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Piacenza makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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