Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rishon Leziyyon and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,880 in Rishon Leziyyon, rent and utilities included – about $23,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Rishon Leziyyon
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Rishon Leziyyon Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Rishon Leziyyon

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,880

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,880 per month in Rishon Leziyyon vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rishon Leziyyon $2,880
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $4,226 per month in Rishon Leziyyon vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rishon Leziyyon $4,226
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $5,572 per month in Rishon Leziyyon vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rishon Leziyyon $5,572
Chiang Mai $1,979

Rishon Leziyyon costs about 208% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Rishon Leziyyon sits 112% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.11 ₪91.3

$2.24 ฿75.6

1199.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.8 ₪307

$19.00 ฿641

414.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.76 ₪52.6

$5.55 ฿187

201.98%

Cappuccino

$5.21 ₪16.35

$1.67 ฿56.5

211.98%

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

$3.72 ₪11.68

$0.64 ฿21.54

481.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₪10.35

$0.31 ฿10.31

964.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.42 ₪32.69

$2.36 ฿79.5

341.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.61 ₪30.15

$3.66 ฿124

162.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.52 ₪7.92

$1.95 ฿65.7

29.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 ₪5.45

$1.44 ฿48.46

20.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 ₪8.40

$1.33 ฿45.03

101.50%

Eggs

$5.30 ₪16.62

$2.28 ฿77.1

132.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.87 ₪56.1

$16.45 ฿555

8.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.10 ₪44.26

$2.78 ฿93.9

407.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.35 ₪51.3

$9.31 ฿314

75.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 ₪10.97

$2.35 ฿79.4

48.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 ₪9.35

$0.97 ฿32.79

207.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ₪5.43

$1.60 ฿53.9

8.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 ₪7.99

$1.50 ฿50.6

70.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 ₪5.62

$1.28 ฿43.11

39.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ₪5.22

$1.10 ฿37.18

50.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 ₪6.22

$0.71 ฿23.82

178.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₪3.01

$0.49 ฿16.36

95.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.14 ₪44.38

$4.14 ฿140

241.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₪39.55

$17.52 ฿591

-28.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₪8.37

$1.61 ฿54.5

65.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₪7.73

$2.78 ฿93.9

-11.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.60 ₪8.17

$0.87 ฿29.30

198.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 ₪317

$54.1 ฿1,825

86.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 ₪12.07

$1.16 ฿39.04

231.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 ₪4.70

$0.53 ฿17.80

183.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.37 ₪98.4

$2.42 ฿81.7

1196.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 ₪8.03

$1.45 ฿48.88

76.55%

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

$54.7K ₪171.6K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

159.69%

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

$55.3K ₪173.5K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

105.19%

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

$288 ₪903

$62.2 ฿2,098

362.72%

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

$11.49 ₪36.07

$12.17 ฿411

-5.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.58 ₪143

$20.12 ฿679

126.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ₪165

$37.31 ฿1,259

41.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.52 ₪61.3

$3.77 ฿127

417.77%

Cinema Ticket

$16.06 ₪50.4

$6.49 ฿219

147.46%

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

$1,164 ₪3,652

$736 ฿24.8K

58.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ₪75.3K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

62.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.75 ₪153

$53.4 ฿1,801

-8.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 ₪125

$24.64 ฿831

61.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 ₪429

$91.5 ฿3,087

49.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 ₪469

$71.9 ฿2,427

107.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 ₪5,269

$482 ฿16.3K

248.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 ₪4,205

$309 ฿10.4K

333.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,634 ₪8,267

$1,006 ฿33.9K

161.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 ₪6,726

$633 ฿21.4K

238.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.0K ₪31.5K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

325.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,278 ₪22.8K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

358.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,042 ₪9,547

$590 ฿19.9K

415.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

5.57

-8.98%

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

Last update for Rishon Leziyyon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rishon Leziyyon

$1.3K 46.5%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 76.9% $1K

Eating Out

Rishon Leziyyon

$445 15.5%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 82.6% $367

Groceries & Markets

Rishon Leziyyon

$374 13%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 37.4% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rishon Leziyyon

$345 12%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 72.6% $250

Clothing & Footwear

Rishon Leziyyon

$169 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 35.6% $60

Getting Around

Rishon Leziyyon

$123 4.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 50% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Rishon Leziyyon

$85 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 40.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,679 in Rishon Leziyyon 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 Rishon Leziyyon are about 5.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Rishon Leziyyon versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $374 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Rishon Leziyyon

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:04 12:04 PM

17:04 5:04 PM

5 h ahead of Rishon Leziyyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

247,323

127,240

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.319 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.14 ILS (1 ILS = 0.319 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.65 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rishon Leziyyon Chiang Mai 6,520 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Rishon Leziyyon
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

Rishon Leziyyon vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rishon Leziyyon costs about 208% 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 $4,320 per month in Rishon Leziyyon 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 $1,679 in Rishon Leziyyon.

Kindergarten costs $1,164 per month in Rishon Leziyyon 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 60% more in Rishon Leziyyon, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,880 in Rishon Leziyyon and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Rishon Leziyyon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.