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 $1,056 per month in Saue vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,653 per month in Saue vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,250 per month in Saue vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Saue costs about 24% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Saue and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Saue 21% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.52 €14.14

$1.96 ฿64.0

742.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.6 €59.6

$18.81 ฿615

270.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 €8.22

$7.92 ฿259

21.21%

Cappuccino

$3.74 €3.20

$1.91 ฿62.6

95.81%

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

$2.47 €2.11

$0.84 ฿27.41

194.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 €2.12

$0.35 ฿11.51

608.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 €4.44

$2.21 ฿72.1

134.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 €5.00

$3.80 ฿124

53.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.64 ฿53.5

-23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.27

$1.62 ฿53.1

-8.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.18 ฿38.62

93.22%

Eggs

$2.86 €2.45

$2.01 ฿65.8

42.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.19 €10.44

$15.89 ฿520

-23.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.50 €7.27

$3.01 ฿98.5

182.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.51 €9.86

$10.77 ฿352

6.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$2.61 ฿85.5

-27.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 €1.37

$1.22 ฿39.88

31.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.10

$1.70 ฿55.7

44.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$1.58 ฿51.5

50.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.32 ฿43.14

-20.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 €0.83

$1.17 ฿38.23

-17.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.66

$0.67 ฿21.98

189.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.87

$0.56 ฿18.32

82.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.48 €5.55

$4.53 ฿148

43.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 €9.08

$18.20 ฿595

-41.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.83 ฿60.0

8.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.89

$3.23 ฿106

-31.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 €2.84

$1.35 ฿44.20

145.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 €0.59

$1.35 ฿44.05

-48.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 €14.71

$8.25 ฿270

108.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.27 ฿41.64

53.54%

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

$28.6K €24.4K

$21.2K ฿691.8K

34.96%

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

$30.7K €26.3K

$22.5K ฿735.3K

36.64%

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

$269 €230

$70.2 ฿2,294

283.82%

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

$20.17 €17.27

$13.77 ฿450

46.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.62 €30.49

$17.60 ฿575

102.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.02

$5.78 ฿189

102.60%

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

$117 €100.0

$306 ฿10.0K

-61.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,747 €6,631

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-47.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €95.5

$54.4 ฿1,778

105.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 €33.72

$26.14 ฿855

50.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 €83.4

$84.5 ฿2,764

15.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €93.9

$69.4 ฿2,270

57.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 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: $263 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

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

Saue costs about 24% 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 $1,585 per month in Saue and $1,278 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 8% 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 $1,056 in Saue and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $1,056 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.