Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rethymno and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,358 in Rethymno, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Rethymno
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Rethymno Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Rethymno

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,358

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,358 per month in Rethymno vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rethymno $1,358
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,031 per month in Rethymno vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rethymno $2,031
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,703 per month in Rethymno vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rethymno $2,703
Chiang Mai $1,979

Rethymno costs about 45% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.69 €11.38

$2.24 ฿75.5

466.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 €50.2

$19.00 ฿640

195.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 €9.18

$5.55 ฿187

84.68%

Cappuccino

$3.54 €3.18

$1.67 ฿56.4

111.98%

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

$1.67 €1.50

$0.64 ฿21.51

160.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.52

$0.31 ฿10.29

87.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 €4.07

$2.36 ฿79.5

92.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 €4.70

$3.66 ฿123

43.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.42

$1.95 ฿65.7

-18.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.44 ฿48.41

-15.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.33 ฿44.97

69.92%

Eggs

$4.48 €4.01

$2.28 ฿77.0

96.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.17 €13.60

$16.45 ฿554

-7.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 €8.67

$2.78 ฿93.8

248.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.43 €13.83

$9.31 ฿314

65.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 €1.79

$2.35 ฿79.3

-15.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 €1.78

$0.97 ฿32.75

105.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.60 ฿53.8

-22.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.52

$1.50 ฿50.6

13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 €0.86

$1.28 ฿43.06

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 €0.90

$1.10 ฿37.14

-8.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 €0.62

$0.71 ฿23.79

-2.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.66

$0.49 ฿16.34

51.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 €3.93

$4.14 ฿140

5.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 €6.18

$17.52 ฿590

-60.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.62

$1.61 ฿54.4

12.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.64

$2.78 ฿93.8

-34.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 €1.62

$0.87 ฿29.27

108.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.10

$1.16 ฿39.00

294.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €1.02

$0.53 ฿17.78

115.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.38 €10.20

$2.42 ฿81.6

370.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.98

$1.45 ฿48.82

52.41%

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

$22.4K €20.1K

$21.1K ฿709.7K

6.38%

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

$24.5K €22.0K

$26.9K ฿907.9K

-8.99%

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

$191 €171

$62.2 ฿2,095

206.80%

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

$18.37 €16.46

$12.17 ฿410

50.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.03 €27.81

$20.12 ฿678

54.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 €54.8

$37.31 ฿1,257

63.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 €7.58

$6.49 ฿219

30.35%

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

$366 €328

$736 ฿24.8K

-50.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,964 €3,552

$14.8K ฿497.6K

-73.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €79.0

$53.4 ฿1,799

65.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.04 €9.89

$24.64 ฿830

-55.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.52 €39.89

$91.5 ฿3,083

-51.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.41 €39.80

$71.9 ฿2,424

-38.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 €491

$482 ฿16.3K

13.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 €401

$309 ฿10.4K

44.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 €818

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-9.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 €627

$633 ฿21.3K

10.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,172 €3,738

$2,363 ฿79.6K

76.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,963 €2,655

$1,589 ฿53.6K

86.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,201 €1,076

$590 ฿19.9K

103.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

5.57

-22.80%

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

Last update for Rethymno: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rethymno

$447 32.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 30.9% $138

Groceries & Markets

Rethymno

$273 20.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 14.3% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rethymno

$240 17.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 60.7% $146

Eating Out

Rethymno

$217 16%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 64.3% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Rethymno

$85 6.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 28.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Rethymno

$78 5.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 35.6% $28

Getting Around

Rethymno

$18 * 1.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 250% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $548 in Rethymno 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 Rethymno are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Rethymno versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Rethymno

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:26 7:26 AM

12:26 12:26 PM

5 h ahead of Rethymno

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,763

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Rethymno Chiang Mai 7,440 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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Rethymno
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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

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

Rethymno costs about 45% 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 $2,037 per month in Rethymno 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 $548 in Rethymno.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Rethymno and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Rethymno, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,358 in Rethymno 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 $1,358 in Rethymno. 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, Rethymno makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.