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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,036 per month in Saku vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,642 per month in Saku vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,249 per month in Saku vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Saku costs about 20% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Saku and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Saku 22% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 €14.43

$1.96 ฿65.9

741.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 €61.4

$18.35 ฿617

282.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 €8.48

$7.48 ฿252

29.55%

Cappuccino

$3.79 €3.32

$2.02 ฿67.8

87.62%

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

$2.59 €2.26

$0.85 ฿28.52

204.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.26

$0.36 ฿11.97

616.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.19 €4.54

$2.14 ฿71.9

142.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.01

$3.59 ฿121

59.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.65 ฿55.5

-24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.57 ฿52.7

-9.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 €2.00

$1.19 ฿40.05

91.60%

Eggs

$2.91 €2.55

$1.94 ฿65.1

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 €10.84

$16.19 ฿545

-23.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 €7.84

$2.99 ฿101

199.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 €9.83

$10.94 ฿368

2.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 €1.65

$2.71 ฿91.2

-30.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.17 ฿39.27

35.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 €2.12

$1.69 ฿56.8

43.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.60 ฿54.0

48.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 €0.88

$1.38 ฿46.56

-27.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 €0.86

$1.20 ฿40.47

-18.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 €1.70

$0.67 ฿22.51

191.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.88

$0.56 ฿18.74

80.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 €5.71

$4.64 ฿156

40.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 €9.14

$17.62 ฿593

-40.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.74

$1.86 ฿62.6

6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.93

$3.30 ฿111

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 €2.91

$1.36 ฿45.92

144.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 €0.65

$1.34 ฿45.00

-44.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 €15.17

$8.21 ฿276

111.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.71

$1.22 ฿41.20

59.84%

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

$28.6K €25.0K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

33.82%

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

$30.2K €26.4K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

34.02%

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

$266 €233

$70.7 ฿2,378

276.14%

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

$20.12 €17.61

$14.04 ฿472

43.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.82 €31.34

$17.49 ฿589

104.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$11.69 €10.23

$5.92 ฿199

97.47%

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

$115 €101

$309 ฿10.4K

-62.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,799 €6,823

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-47.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €99.9

$55.8 ฿1,876

104.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.33 €34.41

$26.11 ฿879

50.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 €85.3

$83.0 ฿2,793

17.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €93.8

$70.5 ฿2,371

52.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,144 €3,625

$1,915 ฿64.4K

116.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,764 €2,418

$1,467 ฿49.4K

88.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,829 €1,600

$579 ฿19.5K

215.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

-14.00%

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

Last update for Saku: July 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 216% higher in Saku, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Saku versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $243 – 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

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

Saku costs about 20% 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 $1,554 per month in Saku and $1,292 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Saku and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Saku, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,036 in Saku and $861 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $861 versus $1,036 in Saku. 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, Saku makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.