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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,715 per month in Saintes vs $848 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,587 per month in Saintes vs $1,331 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,460 per month in Saintes vs $1,814 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Saintes costs about 102% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Saintes sits 29% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.62 €15.17

$1.96 ฿63.6

798.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.44 €24.49

$18.39 ฿598

54.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 €7.80

$7.87 ฿256

15.12%

Cappuccino

$3.50 €3.01

$1.95 ฿63.4

79.49%

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

$2.54 €2.19

$0.85 ฿27.57

198.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.26

$0.32 ฿10.52

356.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.66 €4.01

$2.14 ฿69.6

117.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 €4.38

$3.68 ฿120

38.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.66 ฿53.9

-31.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 €3.59

$1.56 ฿50.7

166.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 €3.03

$1.19 ฿38.63

194.96%

Eggs

$2.35 €2.02

$1.99 ฿64.7

18.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.18 €19.96

$16.24 ฿528

42.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.76 €11.85

$3.17 ฿103

334.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.36 €18.39

$10.84 ฿352

97.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 €2.58

$2.65 ฿86.2

13.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.22 ฿39.67

68.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.65 ฿53.7

21.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 €2.69

$1.55 ฿50.3

101.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.33 ฿43.17

-39.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.21 ฿39.43

50.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$0.68 ฿22.04

139.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$0.57 ฿18.38

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.53 €10.79

$4.68 ฿152

167.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.76 €7.55

$16.99 ฿552

-48.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.22

$1.82 ฿59.3

41.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 €2.75

$3.18 ฿103

0.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.91 ฿29.46

118.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.23 €41.53

$18.74 ฿609

157.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 €4.90

$1.41 ฿45.80

304.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 €2.20

$1.34 ฿43.52

91.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.96 €31.83

$8.14 ฿265

354.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.28 ฿41.53

60.16%

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

$38.0K €32.7K

$21.8K ฿709.3K

74.05%

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

$38.5K €33.1K

$22.4K ฿728.0K

71.79%

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

$186 €160

$70.5 ฿2,291

163.55%

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

$11.79 €10.15

$14.05 ฿457

-16.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.64 €23.80

$17.65 ฿574

56.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.59 €32.36

$41.29 ฿1,342

-8.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.48 €15.92

$6.76 ฿220

173.37%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €8.99

$5.96 ฿194

75.17%

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

$794 €684

$303 ฿9,846

162.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,587 €7,394

$15.0K ฿486.2K

-42.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.68 €40.19

$54.7 ฿1,778

-14.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.96 €30.97

$26.29 ฿854

36.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 €59.6

$85.8 ฿2,788

-19.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €101

$69.7 ฿2,265

67.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$785 €676

$428 ฿13.9K

83.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 €523

$239 ฿7,769

154.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 €1,183

$811 ฿26.4K

69.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 €948

$510 ฿16.6K

116.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,584 €3,947

$2,025 ฿65.8K

126.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,810 €2,420

$1,502 ฿48.8K

87.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

-27.60%

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

Last update for Saintes: June 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $785 in Saintes versus $428 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 $28.00 in Saintes versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 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

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

Saintes costs about 102% 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 $2,572 per month in Saintes and $1,272 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 $794 per month in Saintes and $303 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% more in Saintes, 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 $848, than in Saintes at $1,715. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saintes it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $848 versus $1,715 in Saintes. 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, Saintes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.