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 $1,035 per month in Saue vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,635 per month in Saue vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,236 per month in Saue vs $1,867 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 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.27 €14.19

$2.04 ฿68.4

697.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €60.9

$18.71 ฿626

273.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 €8.57

$7.86 ฿263

25.06%

Cappuccino

$3.62 €3.15

$2.03 ฿67.9

78.33%

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

$2.46 €2.15

$0.80 ฿26.71

207.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.17

$0.35 ฿11.71

611.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.33 €4.65

$2.14 ฿71.7

149.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 €5.18

$3.67 ฿123

62.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.73 ฿57.8

-24.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.57 ฿52.5

-10.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.20 ฿40.10

99.17%

Eggs

$2.92 €2.55

$1.97 ฿66.0

48.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.31 €10.73

$16.23 ฿543

-24.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 €7.40

$3.06 ฿102

177.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 €9.79

$10.80 ฿361

3.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 €1.66

$2.77 ฿92.6

-31.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.17 ฿39.05

31.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.71 ฿57.1

39.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.10

$1.59 ฿53.3

51.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 €0.87

$1.39 ฿46.63

-28.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 €0.87

$1.16 ฿38.67

-14.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.66 ฿22.11

196.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.87

$0.52 ฿17.35

92.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.45 €5.62

$4.65 ฿155

38.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 €9.05

$17.78 ฿595

-41.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.68

$1.79 ฿59.8

7.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.82

$3.34 ฿112

-37.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿624

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 €2.99

$1.41 ฿47.17

143.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 €0.66

$1.34 ฿44.82

-44.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.38 €15.15

$8.11 ฿271

114.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.23 ฿41.27

51.22%

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

$29.2K €25.4K

$21.4K ฿717.0K

36.18%

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

$30.7K €26.8K

$21.8K ฿730.0K

40.81%

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

$265 €231

$71.3 ฿2,386

271.67%

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

$20.64 €18.00

$14.01 ฿469

47.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.34 €30.81

$17.93 ฿600

97.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,365

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$11.61 €10.12

$5.72 ฿191

102.97%

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

$118 €103

$308 ฿10.3K

-61.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,885 €6,874

$14.7K ฿491.0K

-46.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €98.6

$55.8 ฿1,865

102.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.22 €35.06

$26.04 ฿871

54.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €87.3

$84.8 ฿2,837

18.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.3

$71.0 ฿2,375

52.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,110

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿17.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿49.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 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: $261 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

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 $1,552 per month in Saue and $1,279 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 7% 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 $1,035 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 $1,035 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.