Cost of Living Comparison Between Poitiers and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Poitiers and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,556 per month in Poitiers vs $847 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,469 per month in Poitiers vs $1,332 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,382 per month in Poitiers vs $1,816 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Poitiers costs about 84% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Poitiers sits 16% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €14.97

$2.03 ฿68.4

738.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 €50.9

$18.71 ฿630

209.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.42

$7.84 ฿264

80.23%

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.94

$1.93 ฿64.9

73.06%

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

$3.53 €3.10

$0.83 ฿28.00

325.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.75

$0.35 ฿11.80

468.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.75 €5.93

$2.22 ฿74.8

204.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 €5.22

$3.79 ฿128

56.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 €1.37

$1.65 ฿55.4

-6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.55 ฿52.3

29.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €1.98

$1.18 ฿39.79

91.53%

Eggs

$5.00 €4.39

$2.01 ฿67.9

148.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.17 €22.13

$16.16 ฿544

55.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.38 €11.77

$3.03 ฿102

341.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.54 €17.18

$10.84 ฿365

80.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 €2.20

$2.68 ฿90.3

-6.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.88

$1.22 ฿41.14

75.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 €3.09

$1.63 ฿54.8

115.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 €2.83

$1.53 ฿51.5

109.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.34 ฿45.10

49.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 €2.18

$1.21 ฿40.86

104.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.59

$0.70 ฿23.63

158.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.58

$0.53 ฿17.70

24.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.53 €11.89

$4.69 ฿158

188.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.29 €5.53

$17.71 ฿597

-64.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.49

$1.85 ฿62.2

52.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.44

$3.21 ฿108

21.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 €1.72

$0.89 ฿30.01

119.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.65 €28.70

$18.76 ฿632

74.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.15 €8.04

$1.41 ฿47.40

548.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 €1.85

$1.29 ฿43.52

62.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.2 €48.49

$7.79 ฿262

608.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.88

$1.29 ฿43.59

65.12%

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

$36.1K €31.7K

$21.8K ฿733.4K

65.67%

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

$36.5K €32.1K

$21.7K ฿730.7K

68.41%

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

$198 €174

$70.0 ฿2,358

182.28%

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

$16.69 €14.67

$14.19 ฿478

17.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.61 €31.31

$17.42 ฿587

104.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 €29.99

$41.64 ฿1,403

-18.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.94 €16.65

$6.89 ฿232

174.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 €8.63

$5.78 ฿195

69.90%

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

$709 €623

$300 ฿10.1K

136.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K €10.1K

$14.5K ฿489.2K

-20.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 €76.6

$55.4 ฿1,865

57.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.00 €40.44

$26.31 ฿886

74.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 €69.2

$84.8 ฿2,858

-7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 €65.5

$70.5 ฿2,375

5.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 €537

$425 ฿14.3K

43.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 €357

$235 ฿7,919

72.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 €841

$802 ฿27.0K

19.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 €664

$516 ฿17.4K

46.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,714 €3,265

$1,926 ฿64.9K

92.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 €2,015

$1,451 ฿48.9K

57.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,140 €1,882

$586 ฿19.8K

265.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

-29.00%

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

Last update for Poitiers: July 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $611 in Poitiers versus $425 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 265% higher in Poitiers, 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 $58.0 in Poitiers versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $242 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Poitiers costs about 84% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $2,334 per month in Poitiers and $1,271 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 $709 per month in Poitiers and $300 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Poitiers, 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 $847, than in Poitiers at $1,556. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Poitiers it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $847 versus $1,556 in Poitiers. 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, Poitiers makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.