Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plunge and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,428 in Plunge, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Plunge
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Plunge Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Plunge

🇱🇹 Lithuania

$1,428

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,428 per month in Plunge vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Plunge $1,428
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,236 per month in Plunge vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Plunge $2,236
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,043 per month in Plunge vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Plunge $3,043
Chiang Mai $1,979

Plunge costs about 53% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Plunge sits 5% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.34 €12.80

$2.24 ฿75.6

540.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.5 €68.2

$19.00 ฿641

302.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.73 €7.79

$5.55 ฿187

57.30%

Cappuccino

$3.82 €3.41

$1.67 ฿56.5

128.74%

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

$2.32 €2.07

$0.64 ฿21.53

262.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.98

$0.31 ฿10.30

612.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 €5.00

$2.36 ฿79.5

137.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.88

$3.66 ฿124

18.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.95 ฿65.7

-21.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.49

$1.44 ฿48.45

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$1.33 ฿45.01

79.70%

Eggs

$3.29 €2.93

$2.28 ฿77.0

44.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.52 €9.39

$16.45 ฿555

-36.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.32 €7.42

$2.78 ฿93.8

199.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 €10.43

$9.31 ฿314

25.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$2.35 ฿79.4

-20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.97 ฿32.78

48.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.60 ฿53.9

4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 €3.12

$1.50 ฿50.6

133.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 €0.85

$1.28 ฿43.10

-25.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 €0.69

$1.10 ฿37.17

-30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$0.71 ฿23.81

121.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.71

$0.49 ฿16.36

63.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 €5.61

$4.14 ฿140

51.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 €8.05

$17.52 ฿591

-48.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.61 ฿54.5

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.78 ฿93.9

-31.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 €1.02

$0.87 ฿29.29

31.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.78 €24.78

$54.1 ฿1,825

-48.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.67

$1.16 ฿39.03

158.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 €1.13

$0.53 ฿17.79

137.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.15 €12.63

$2.42 ฿81.7

484.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.45 ฿48.87

35.17%

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

$27.8K €24.8K

$21.1K ฿710.3K

32.00%

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

$28.6K €25.5K

$26.9K ฿908.7K

6.14%

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

$232 €207

$62.2 ฿2,097

273.15%

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

$13.84 €12.35

$12.17 ฿410

13.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.67 €18.44

$20.12 ฿679

2.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 €35.06

$37.31 ฿1,259

5.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.18 €18.90

$3.77 ฿127

461.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.91 €8.84

$6.49 ฿219

52.70%

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

$657 €587

$736 ฿24.8K

-10.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €10.1K

$14.8K ฿498.0K

-23.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.1 €84.9

$53.4 ฿1,800

78.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.80 €36.40

$24.64 ฿831

65.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 €81.6

$91.5 ฿3,086

0.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €117

$71.9 ฿2,426

82.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 €514

$482 ฿16.3K

19.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$402 €358

$309 ฿10.4K

30.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 €656

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-26.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 €646

$633 ฿21.4K

14.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,044 €2,716

$2,363 ฿79.7K

28.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,894 €1,690

$1,589 ฿53.6K

19.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,294 €1,155

$590 ฿19.9K

119.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

5.57

-28.37%

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

Last update for Plunge: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Plunge

$402 28.1%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 23.1% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plunge

$267 18.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 64.6% $172

Groceries & Markets

Plunge

$256 18%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 8.6% $22

Eating Out

Plunge

$242 16.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 67.9% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Plunge

$161 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 32.6% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Plunge

$59 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 14.9% $8.8

Getting Around

Plunge

$42 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 47.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $576 in Plunge 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 Plunge are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Plunge versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇹 Plunge

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

00:36 12:36 AM

5 h ahead of Plunge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,041

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Plunge Chiang Mai 7,490 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Plunge
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

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

Plunge costs about 53% 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 $2,142 per month in Plunge 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 $576 in Plunge.

Kindergarten costs $657 per month in Plunge 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 9% more in Plunge, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,428 in Plunge 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 $1,428 in Plunge. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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