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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,052 per month in Saue vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,631 per month in Saue vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,210 per month in Saue vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Saue costs about 21% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Saue and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Saue 22% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.06 €13.84

$1.98 ฿64.3

711.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.7

$18.80 ฿612

274.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 €8.25

$7.75 ฿252

23.61%

Cappuccino

$3.67 €3.17

$1.92 ฿62.5

91.15%

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

$2.46 €2.12

$0.79 ฿25.79

211.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 €2.20

$0.36 ฿11.62

608.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.16 €4.44

$2.21 ฿72.1

133.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 €5.11

$3.66 ฿119

62.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.65 ฿53.8

-21.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.63 ฿53.2

-9.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.19 ฿38.86

99.16%

Eggs

$2.92 €2.52

$2.00 ฿65.1

46.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.54 €10.80

$15.98 ฿520

-21.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 €7.52

$3.03 ฿98.5

188.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 €9.87

$10.86 ฿354

5.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 €1.64

$2.76 ฿90.0

-30.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.18 ฿38.42

33.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 €2.08

$1.64 ฿53.5

46.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.15

$1.52 ฿49.51

63.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 €0.86

$1.38 ฿45.10

-28.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 €0.85

$1.19 ฿38.84

-16.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.70 ฿22.86

180.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.86

$0.56 ฿18.13

78.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.45 €5.56

$4.58 ฿149

40.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 €9.02

$16.56 ฿539

-36.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.83 ฿59.5

4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.81

$3.20 ฿104

-34.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.82

$1.36 ฿44.16

140.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 €0.60

$1.34 ฿43.65

-47.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €14.78

$7.84 ฿256

118.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.23 ฿39.92

55.28%

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

$28.6K €24.7K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

32.38%

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

$31.3K €26.9K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

38.73%

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

$271 €233

$70.5 ฿2,298

283.56%

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

$20.37 €17.55

$13.68 ฿445

48.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.48 €30.57

$17.45 ฿568

103.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$11.61 €10.00

$5.77 ฿188

101.21%

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

$118 €102

$307 ฿10.0K

-61.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,035 €6,923

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-45.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €96.5

$55.8 ฿1,817

100.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.74 €34.24

$26.21 ฿854

51.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 €84.8

$85.8 ฿2,793

14.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €93.6

$72.2 ฿2,353

50.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

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 Saue: June 8, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Saue versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $265 vs $241 – 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

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

Saue costs about 21% 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 $1,578 per month in Saue and $1,303 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 Saue and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Saue, 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 $1,052 in Saue and $869 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $869 versus $1,052 in Saue. 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, Saue makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.