Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sitges and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,673 in Sitges, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sitges, Spain
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Sitges
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,673
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sitges 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 Sitges and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,673 per month in Sitges vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Sitges $1,673
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,821 per month in Sitges vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Sitges $2,821
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,968 per month in Sitges vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Sitges $3,968
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Sitges costs about 79% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sitges sits 23% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sitges
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.96 €15.19
$2.24 ฿75.6
657.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.6 €59.7
$19.00 ฿641
250.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.15 €10.88
$5.55 ฿187
118.92%
Cappuccino
$2.73 €2.44
$1.67 ฿56.5
63.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 €2.06
$0.64 ฿21.54
259.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 €1.78
$0.31 ฿10.31
541.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.43 €3.07
$2.36 ฿79.5
45.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 €3.97
$3.66 ฿124
21.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sitges
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.05
$1.95 ฿65.7
-40.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.44 ฿48.46
-9.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.76 €1.58
$1.33 ฿45.03
32.33%
Eggs
$3.54 €3.17
$2.28 ฿77.1
55.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.09 €9.93
$16.45 ฿555
-32.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.89 €7.07
$2.78 ฿93.9
183.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.63 €14.00
$9.31 ฿314
67.88%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 €2.33
$2.35 ฿79.4
10.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.83 €1.64
$0.97 ฿32.79
88.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 €1.64
$1.60 ฿53.9
14.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.64 €2.36
$1.50 ฿50.6
76.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.69 €1.51
$1.28 ฿43.11
32.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.10 ฿37.18
68.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.11 €0.99
$0.71 ฿23.82
56.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.75 €0.67
$0.49 ฿16.36
53.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.81 €5.20
$4.14 ฿140
40.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.59 €5.01
$17.52 ฿591
-68.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.21
$1.61 ฿54.5
-16.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 €1.52
$2.78 ฿93.9
-39.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Sitges
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.45 €2.19
$0.87 ฿29.30
181.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.70 €29.28
$54.1 ฿1,825
-39.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.27 €2.93
$1.16 ฿39.04
181.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.35 €1.21
$0.53 ฿17.80
154.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.89 €21.39
$2.42 ฿81.7
887.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.45 ฿48.88
25.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K €25.2K
$21.1K ฿710.5K
33.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.7K €27.5K
$26.9K ฿909.0K
13.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sitges
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$154 €138
$62.2 ฿2,098
147.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.90 €14.24
$12.17 ฿411
30.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.20 €30.63
$20.12 ฿679
69.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sitges
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.7 €56.1
$37.31 ฿1,259
67.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.82 €14.17
$3.77 ฿127
319.63%
Cinema Ticket
$10.74 €9.62
$6.49 ฿219
65.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sitges
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$550 €492
$736 ฿24.8K
-25.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,813 €8,789
$14.8K ฿498.2K
-33.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sitges
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €79.5
$53.4 ฿1,801
66.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.39 €32.59
$24.64 ฿831
47.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.7 €86.6
$91.5 ฿3,087
5.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 €104
$71.9 ฿2,427
61.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sitges
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$876 €784
$482 ฿16.3K
81.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$679 €608
$309 ฿10.4K
119.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,165 €1,939
$1,006 ฿33.9K
115.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,676 €1,501
$633 ฿21.4K
164.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,237 €2,899
$2,363 ฿79.7K
37.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,224 €1,991
$1,589 ฿53.6K
39.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sitges
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,956 €2,648
$590 ฿19.9K
401.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.41
5.57
-38.78%

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

Last update for Sitges: 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
Sitges
$679
Chiang Mai
$309 54.5% $370
Groceries & Markets
Sitges
$254
Chiang Mai
$234 7.6% $19
Eating Out
Sitges
$248
Chiang Mai
$78 68.7% $170
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sitges
$204
Chiang Mai
$94 53.6% $109
Clothing & Footwear
Sitges
$152
Chiang Mai
$109 28.6% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Sitges
$84
Chiang Mai
$50 40.2% $34
Getting Around
Sitges
$53
Chiang Mai
$61 16.9% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $876 in Sitges 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.

Salaries in Sitges are about 5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Sitges versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Sitges
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
17:27 5:27 PM
23:27 11:27 PM
6 h ahead of Sitges
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
31,954
127,240
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sitges Chiang Mai 9,220 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sitges
  • 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
Sitges vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sitges or Chiang Mai?
Sitges costs about 79% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Sitges and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Sitges and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Sitges or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $876 in Sitges.
How do childcare costs compare in Sitges and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $550 per month in Sitges and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Sitges or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 8% more in Sitges, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Sitges or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,673 in Sitges and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Sitges or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,673 in Sitges. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Sitges compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Sitges or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sitges makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Sitges vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?