Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scalea and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,723 in Scalea, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Scalea
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Scalea Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Scalea

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,723

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Scalea and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Scalea and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,723 per month in Scalea vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Scalea $1,723
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,482 per month in Scalea vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Scalea $2,482
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Scalea vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Scalea $3,241
Chiang Mai $1,979

Scalea costs about 84% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Scalea sits 27% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.80 €15.05

$2.24 ฿75.6

650.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 €50.7

$19.00 ฿641

197.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.87

$5.55 ฿187

98.56%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.88

$1.67 ฿56.5

25.75%

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

$2.96 €2.65

$0.64 ฿21.55

362.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.87

$0.31 ฿10.31

570.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.59 €5.91

$2.36 ฿79.6

179.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 €3.70

$3.66 ฿124

12.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.13

$1.95 ฿65.8

-35.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.44 ฿48.48

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.35

$1.33 ฿45.04

96.99%

Eggs

$3.41 €3.06

$2.28 ฿77.1

49.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 €9.90

$16.45 ฿555

-32.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.70 €10.48

$2.78 ฿93.9

320.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.79 €14.15

$9.31 ฿314

69.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 €1.78

$2.35 ฿79.4

-15.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$0.97 ฿32.80

78.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 €1.25

$1.60 ฿53.9

-13.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.36

$1.50 ฿50.6

76.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.28 ฿43.12

35.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.10 ฿37.19

18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.15

$0.71 ฿23.82

80.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 €0.42

$0.49 ฿16.37

-6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €6.11

$4.14 ฿140

64.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 €7.00

$17.52 ฿591

-55.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.61 ฿54.5

13.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.37

$2.78 ฿94.0

-44.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.48

$0.87 ฿29.31

90.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.62 €34.61

$54.1 ฿1,826

-28.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 €4.10

$1.16 ฿39.06

293.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €1.02

$0.53 ฿17.80

115.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.00 €19.71

$2.42 ฿81.8

809.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.90

$1.45 ฿48.90

46.21%

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

$36.0K €32.3K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

70.91%

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

$37.6K €33.7K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

39.57%

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

$315 €282

$62.2 ฿2,098

405.89%

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

$10.52 €9.42

$12.17 ฿411

-13.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.57 €30.98

$20.12 ฿679

71.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 €47.61

$37.31 ฿1,259

42.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.55 €20.21

$3.77 ฿127

498.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €8.12

$6.49 ฿219

39.75%

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

$445 €399

$736 ฿24.8K

-39.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,807 €6,099

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-53.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 €74.4

$53.4 ฿1,801

55.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.18 €30.63

$24.64 ฿831

38.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €76.1

$91.5 ฿3,087

-7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$71.9 ฿2,428

79.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 €628

$482 ฿16.3K

45.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 €498

$309 ฿10.4K

80.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 €984

$1,006 ฿33.9K

9.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 €734

$633 ฿21.4K

29.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,452 €1,301

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-38.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,141 €1,023

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-28.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

5.57

-36.27%

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

Last update for Scalea: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Scalea

$556 32.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 44.5% $247

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scalea

$360 20.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 73.7% $265

Groceries & Markets

Scalea

$278 16.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 15.7% $44

Eating Out

Scalea

$254 14.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 69.5% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Scalea

$149 8.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 27.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Scalea

$71 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 29.4% $21

Getting Around

Scalea

$56 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 10.6% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $700 in Scalea versus $482 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Scalea versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Scalea

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

12:16 12:16 PM

6 h ahead of Scalea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,913

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Scalea Chiang Mai 8,120 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Scalea
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Scalea costs about 84% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $2,585 per month in Scalea and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $700 in Scalea.

Kindergarten costs $445 per month in Scalea and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Scalea, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,723 in Scalea and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,723 in Scalea. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.