Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rakvere and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,008 in Rakvere, rent and utilities included – about $860 less a year. The total is higher in Rakvere despite lower rent and utilities.

Rakvere, Estonia
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Rakvere
🇪🇪 Estonia
$1,008
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,008 per month in Rakvere vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Rakvere $1,008
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,540 per month in Rakvere vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Rakvere $1,540
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,072 per month in Rakvere vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Rakvere $2,072
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Rakvere costs about 8% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rakvere and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Rakvere 26% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rakvere
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.33 €10.15
$2.24 ฿75.6
405.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.0 €58.2
$19.00 ฿641
242.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.29 €10.11
$5.55 ฿187
103.42%
Cappuccino
$3.83 €3.43
$1.67 ฿56.5
129.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 €2.13
$0.64 ฿21.54
271.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.47
$0.31 ฿10.31
429.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.73 €5.14
$2.36 ฿79.5
142.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 €3.94
$3.66 ฿124
19.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rakvere
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.65 €0.58
$1.95 ฿65.7
-66.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.92 €1.72
$1.44 ฿48.46
33.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.33 €2.08
$1.33 ฿45.03
75.19%
Eggs
$1.93 €1.73
$2.28 ฿77.1
-15.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.42
$16.45 ฿555
-22.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.83 €6.11
$2.78 ฿93.9
145.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.48 €4.01
$9.31 ฿314
-51.88%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 €1.92
$2.35 ฿79.4
-8.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 €1.26
$0.97 ฿32.79
44.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.13 €1.91
$1.60 ฿53.9
33.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.45 €2.20
$1.50 ฿50.6
63.33%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 €0.67
$1.28 ฿43.11
-41.41%
Onion (1kg)
$0.53 €0.48
$1.10 ฿37.18
-51.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 €1.67
$0.71 ฿23.82
161.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 €1.06
$0.49 ฿16.36
142.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.84 €6.13
$4.14 ฿140
65.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.41 €9.32
$17.52 ฿591
-40.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.61 ฿54.5
25.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 €2.20
$2.78 ฿93.9
-11.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Rakvere
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.87 ฿29.30
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.1 ฿1,825
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.55 €3.18
$1.16 ฿39.04
206.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.99 €0.89
$0.53 ฿17.80
86.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.13 €24.30
$2.42 ฿81.7
1021.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.00 €1.79
$1.45 ฿48.88
37.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K €24.9K
$21.1K ฿710.5K
31.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.7K €26.6K
$26.9K ฿909.0K
10.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rakvere
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$312 €279
$62.2 ฿2,098
401.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.64 €15.80
$12.17 ฿411
44.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.18 €31.51
$20.12 ฿679
74.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rakvere
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$37.31 ฿1,259
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.77 ฿127
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.08 €4.55
$6.49 ฿219
-21.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rakvere
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 €427
$736 ฿24.8K
-35.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K €10.4K
$14.8K ฿498.2K
-21.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rakvere
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$109 €97.5
$53.4 ฿1,801
104.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.00 €42.99
$24.64 ฿831
94.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.6
$91.5 ฿3,087
15.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €106
$71.9 ฿2,427
64.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rakvere
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$482 ฿16.3K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$309 ฿10.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$633 ฿21.4K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,363 ฿79.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rakvere
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.93
5.57
-29.44%

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

Last update for Rakvere: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rakvere
$364
Chiang Mai
$94 74.1% $270
Groceries & Markets
Rakvere
$229
Chiang Mai
$234 2.2% $5
Eating Out
Rakvere
$224
Chiang Mai
$78 65.4% $146
Clothing & Footwear
Rakvere
$171
Chiang Mai
$109 36.6% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Rakvere
$10 *
Chiang Mai
$50 395% $40
Getting Around
Rakvere
$8.5 *
Chiang Mai
$61 622% $53
Accommodation & Living
Rakvere
- *
Chiang Mai
$309

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Rakvere versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $229 in Rakvere vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Rakvere wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇪 Rakvere
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
23:30 11:30 PM
04:30 4:30 AM
5 h ahead of Rakvere
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
16,953
127,240
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rakvere Chiang Mai 7,240 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rakvere
  • 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
Rakvere vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Rakvere or Chiang Mai?
Rakvere costs about 8% 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 Rakvere and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,512 per month in Rakvere and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does it cost to live in Rakvere compared to Chiang Mai?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,008 in Rakvere and $936 in Chiang Mai. That makes Chiang Mai about 7% cheaper.
How do dining costs compare in Rakvere and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Rakvere and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Rakvere or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,008 in Rakvere and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Rakvere or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,008 in Rakvere. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Rakvere compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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