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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,306 per month in Sarande vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,185 per month in Sarande vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Sarande vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sarande costs about 53% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Sarande and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sarande 2% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ALL 965

$2.04 ฿68.2

482.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 ALL 4,743

$18.71 ฿624

212.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.46 ALL 769

$7.86 ฿262

20.36%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ALL 165

$2.03 ฿67.7

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

$1.91 ALL 155

$0.80 ฿26.64

138.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ALL 75.2

$0.35 ฿11.68

165.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 ALL 237

$2.14 ฿71.5

36.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ALL 293

$3.67 ฿122

-1.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ALL 167

$1.73 ฿57.6

19.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ALL 88.1

$1.57 ฿52.4

-31.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ALL 178

$1.20 ฿39.99

82.50%

Eggs

$3.83 ALL 311

$1.97 ฿65.8

94.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ALL 1,061

$16.23 ฿541

-19.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 ALL 634

$3.06 ฿102

154.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 ALL 1,262

$10.80 ฿360

43.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ALL 144

$2.77 ฿92.3

-35.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ALL 222

$1.17 ฿38.94

133.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ALL 162

$1.71 ฿57.0

16.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ALL 162

$1.59 ฿53.2

25.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ALL 108

$1.39 ฿46.51

-5.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ALL 103

$1.16 ฿38.56

9.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 ALL 124

$0.66 ฿22.05

130.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ALL 63.6

$0.52 ฿17.31

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ALL 349

$4.65 ฿155

-7.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.51 ALL 529

$17.78 ฿593

-63.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ALL 129

$1.79 ฿59.6

-11.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ALL 173

$3.34 ฿111

-36.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ALL 92.0

$0.91 ฿30.27

24.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.21 ALL 1,885

$18.64 ฿622

24.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 ALL 295

$1.41 ฿47.04

157.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 ALL 257

$1.34 ฿44.70

136.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.38 ALL 1,412

$8.11 ฿270

114.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 ALL 167

$1.23 ฿41.16

66.67%

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

$34.3K ALL 2.8M

$21.4K ฿715.1K

60.02%

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

$29.4K ALL 2.4M

$21.8K ฿728.0K

34.50%

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

$101 ALL 8,166

$71.3 ฿2,379

40.91%

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

$17.75 ALL 1,442

$14.01 ฿467

26.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 ALL 1,526

$17.93 ฿598

4.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.2 ALL 7,249

$40.82 ฿1,362

118.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.95 ALL 3,408

$6.88 ฿230

509.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.56 ALL 777

$5.72 ฿191

67.13%

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

$294 ALL 23.9K

$308 ฿10.3K

-4.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,526 ALL 449.0K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-62.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 ALL 5,571

$55.8 ฿1,860

22.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 ALL 4,130

$26.04 ฿869

95.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ALL 8,795

$84.8 ฿2,829

27.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ALL 10.5K

$71.0 ฿2,368

81.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$871 ALL 70.8K

$423 ฿14.1K

105.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 ALL 31.3K

$242 ฿8,088

59.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 ALL 90.7K

$797 ฿26.6K

40.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 ALL 75.6K

$507 ฿16.9K

83.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,516 ALL 366.9K

$1,918 ฿64.0K

135.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,843 ALL 231.0K

$1,464 ฿48.8K

94.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$769 ALL 62.5K

$595 ฿19.9K

29.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.52

10.40%

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

Last update for Sarande: July 28, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $871 in Sarande versus $423 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 run about 29% higher in Sarande, 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 $58.0 in Sarande versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $244 – 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

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

Sarande costs about 53% 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 $1,959 per month in Sarande and $1,279 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 $294 per month in Sarande and $308 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Sarande, 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 $852, than in Sarande at $1,306. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sarande it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $1,306 in Sarande. 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, Sarande makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.