Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sliema and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,396 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Sliema
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Sliema Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Sliema

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,396

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,396 per month in Sliema vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sliema $2,396
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,794 per month in Sliema vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sliema $3,794
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $5,191 per month in Sliema vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sliema $5,191
Chiang Mai $1,914

Sliema costs about 155% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sliema sits 77% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 €17.62

$2.26 ฿75.4

776.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 €76.2

$19.18 ฿641

346.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.24 €11.77

$5.59 ฿187

136.85%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.47

$1.72 ฿57.6

61.05%

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

$3.02 €2.69

$0.64 ฿21.54

371.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.92

$0.33 ฿11.18

554.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.09

$2.36 ฿78.7

94.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 €4.66

$3.90 ฿130

34.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$2.05 ฿68.6

-34.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.40 ฿46.70

-2.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 €3.77

$1.28 ฿42.89

231.25%

Eggs

$4.30 €3.82

$2.25 ฿75.3

91.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 €7.35

$16.94 ฿566

-51.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 €9.12

$2.74 ฿91.6

274.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.21 €16.20

$9.36 ฿313

94.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 €3.77

$2.40 ฿80.3

76.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 €2.50

$1.01 ฿33.92

178.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 €3.13

$1.61 ฿53.9

118.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.95

$1.52 ฿50.7

118.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$1.28 ฿42.90

89.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.82

$1.11 ฿37.22

84.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 €2.08

$0.72 ฿24.09

225.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.52 ฿17.54

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 €6.08

$4.33 ฿145

57.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.09 €7.19

$17.73 ฿593

-54.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.63 ฿54.4

3.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.14

$2.85 ฿95.3

-15.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 €1.93

$0.85 ฿28.31

155.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$133 €118

$53.9 ฿1,801

147.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 €5.02

$1.17 ฿39.18

382.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.57 ฿19.00

285.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.09 €24.10

$2.37 ฿79.2

1043.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.45 ฿48.32

6.21%

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

$37.9K €33.7K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

85.22%

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

$39.6K €35.2K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

49.39%

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

$103 €91.9

$62.3 ฿2,083

65.79%

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

$25.61 €22.77

$12.27 ฿410

108.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.84 €38.10

$19.97 ฿668

114.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.4 €68.0

$37.91 ฿1,267

101.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 €14.11

$3.76 ฿126

321.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.20 €9.07

$6.71 ฿224

52.01%

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

$366 €326

$797 ฿26.6K

-54.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,911

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-24.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €76.0

$53.3 ฿1,780

60.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.84 €36.33

$25.05 ฿837

63.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.0

$91.6 ฿3,062

10.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 €68.2

$73.5 ฿2,455

4.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 €1,579

$464 ฿15.5K

282.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,085

$305 ฿10.2K

300.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,913 €2,591

$915 ฿30.6K

218.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,385 €2,122

$552 ฿18.5K

331.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,353 €4,761

$1,912 ฿63.9K

180.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,578 €3,182

$1,438 ฿48.1K

148.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,815 €1,614

$595 ฿19.9K

204.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

5.57

-47.94%

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

Last update for Sliema: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sliema

$1.2K 50.9%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 75% $915

Groceries & Markets

Sliema

$326 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 27.1% $89

Eating Out

Sliema

$286 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 72.3% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sliema

$172 7.2%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 44.9% $77

Getting Around

Sliema

$158 6.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 61.3% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Sliema

$137 5.7%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 20% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Sliema

$97 4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 47% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,775 in Sliema versus $464 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 run about 205% higher in Sliema, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Sliema versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Sliema

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:44 1:44 PM

18:44 6:44 PM

5 h ahead of Sliema

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,854

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Sliema Chiang Mai 8,310 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sliema
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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

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

Sliema costs about 155% 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 $3,594 per month in Sliema and $1,408 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $366 per month in Sliema and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Sliema, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Sliema at $2,396. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sliema it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,396 in Sliema. 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, Sliema makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.