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

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $493 per month in Qena vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $772 per month in Qena vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,052 per month in Qena vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Qena is about 42% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Qena and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Qena 63% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 E£208

$1.96 ฿63.6

100.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.55 E£821

$18.81 ฿611

-17.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.08 E£321

$7.92 ฿258

-23.23%

Cappuccino

$1.62 E£85.5

$1.91 ฿62.2

-15.18%

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

$0.35 E£18.41

$0.84 ฿27.25

-58.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 E£7.64

$0.35 ฿11.44

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 E£107

$2.21 ฿71.7

-8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 E£140

$3.80 ฿124

-30.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 E£53.0

$1.64 ฿53.2

-39.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 E£30.54

$1.62 ฿52.8

-64.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 E£37.42

$1.18 ฿38.40

-39.83%

Eggs

$2.08 E£110

$2.01 ฿65.4

3.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.40 E£179

$15.89 ฿517

-78.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.43 E£340

$3.01 ฿98.0

113.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.82 E£519

$10.77 ฿350

-8.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 E£70.6

$2.61 ฿85.0

-48.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.43 E£22.85

$1.22 ฿39.65

-64.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.42 E£22.40

$1.70 ฿55.4

-75.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.62 E£32.59

$1.58 ฿51.2

-60.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 E£26.10

$1.32 ฿42.89

-62.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 E£28.41

$1.17 ฿38.01

-53.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 E£15.91

$0.67 ฿21.85

-55.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.20 E£10.60

$0.56 ฿18.21

-64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.93 E£102

$4.53 ฿147

-57.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 E£394

$18.20 ฿592

-59.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 E£63.6

$1.83 ฿59.6

-34.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 E£96.9

$3.23 ฿105

-43.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 E£10.87

$0.89 ฿28.83

-76.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿630

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 E£20.50

$1.35 ฿43.95

-71.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.14 E£7.56

$1.35 ฿43.79

-89.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 E£106

$8.25 ฿268

-75.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.35 E£18.70

$1.27 ฿41.40

-72.44%

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

$17.7K E£934.0K

$21.2K ฿687.8K

-16.43%

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

$32.9K E£1.7M

$22.5K ฿731.0K

46.33%

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

$25.92 E£1,369

$70.2 ฿2,281

-63.05%

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

$6.56 E£347

$13.77 ฿448

-52.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.70 E£671

$17.60 ฿572

-27.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.24 E£1,175

$41.57 ฿1,352

-46.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿215

Cinema Ticket

$3.38 E£179

$5.78 ฿188

-41.52%

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

$100 E£5,290

$306 ฿9,953

-67.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$595 E£31.4K

$14.8K ฿482.0K

-95.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.35 E£600

$54.4 ฿1,768

-79.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.58 E£1,034

$26.14 ฿850

-25.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 E£5,647

$84.5 ฿2,748

26.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.4 E£2,660

$69.4 ฿2,257

-27.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$192 E£10.2K

$424 ฿13.8K

-54.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$97.7 E£5,159

$238 ฿7,743

-59.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$305 E£16.1K

$825 ฿26.8K

-63.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 E£9,567

$515 ฿16.7K

-64.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$667 E£35.2K

$2,049 ฿66.6K

-67.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$368 E£19.4K

$1,523 ฿49.5K

-75.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

100.00%

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

Last update for Qena: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $192 in Qena versus $424 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Qena versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $144 vs $243 – making Qena 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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 73% more than Qena, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $739 per month in Qena and $1,278 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qena, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Qena and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 69% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $493 in Qena and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Qena costs $493 versus $852 in Chiang Mai. 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 Qena. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.