Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tel Aviv-Yafo and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $3,561 in Tel Aviv-Yafo, rent and utilities included – about $31,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

172

Cost of Living Index in Tel Aviv-Yafo
Learn more

Tel Aviv-Yafo Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,561

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,561 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $3,561
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $5,240 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $5,240
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $6,919 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tel Aviv-Yafo $6,919
Chiang Mai $1,903

Tel Aviv-Yafo costs about 285% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tel Aviv-Yafo sits 163% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.79 ₪80.2

$2.29 ฿76.5

1026.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$127 ₪395

$19.64 ฿656

545.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.10 ₪62.5

$5.61 ฿188

258.29%

Cappuccino

$5.51 ₪17.14

$1.66 ฿55.6

231.93%

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

$3.78 ₪11.75

$0.70 ฿23.40

440.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ₪9.46

$0.31 ฿10.24

880.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.96 ₪34.11

$2.41 ฿80.4

354.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.84 ₪33.72

$3.71 ฿124

192.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.46 ₪7.66

$1.95 ฿65.3

26.15%

White Bread (500g)

$4.57 ₪14.22

$1.41 ฿47.03

224.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 ₪11.76

$1.31 ฿43.62

188.55%

Eggs

$5.25 ₪16.33

$2.18 ฿72.9

140.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.59 ₪67.2

$16.65 ฿556

29.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.87 ₪49.37

$2.76 ฿92.2

475.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.60 ₪76.6

$9.11 ฿304

170.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 ₪14.36

$2.39 ฿80.0

93.31%

Banana (1kg)

$3.75 ₪11.68

$1.03 ฿34.26

264.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₪7.35

$1.63 ฿54.4

44.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 ₪10.43

$1.50 ฿50.0

123.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 ₪5.71

$1.29 ฿43.13

41.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 ₪5.86

$1.11 ฿37.03

69.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 ₪8.18

$0.72 ฿24.08

265.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₪8.38

$0.53 ฿17.59

407.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.70 ₪45.73

$4.31 ฿144

241.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.36 ₪50.9

$17.95 ฿600

-8.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.72 ₪11.56

$1.58 ฿52.9

135.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 ₪15.03

$2.84 ฿95.0

70.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 ₪7.97

$0.86 ฿28.86

197.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 ₪312

$53.3 ฿1,780

88.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 ₪12.97

$1.21 ฿40.29

244.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ₪3.39

$0.57 ฿18.99

91.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.09 ₪59.4

$2.35 ฿78.6

712.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.55 ₪7.93

$1.44 ฿47.96

77.08%

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

$54.1K ₪168.4K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

161.13%

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

$53.0K ₪164.8K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

97.63%

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

$451 ₪1,402

$62.3 ฿2,083

623.04%

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

$11.34 ₪35.28

$12.11 ฿405

-6.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.04 ₪109

$19.94 ฿666

75.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 ₪340

$37.07 ฿1,239

194.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.82 ₪71.0

$3.78 ฿126

503.70%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 ₪48.32

$6.50 ฿217

138.92%

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

$1,677 ₪5,217

$793 ฿26.5K

111.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K ₪97.1K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

110.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 ₪387

$53.7 ฿1,796

131.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.0 ₪265

$24.62 ฿823

245.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$173 ₪539

$90.9 ฿3,036

90.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$193 ₪601

$71.1 ฿2,378

171.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,213 ₪6,884

$455 ฿15.2K

385.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 ₪4,975

$298 ฿9,954

436.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,583 ₪11.1K

$908 ฿30.4K

294.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,615 ₪8,137

$554 ฿18.5K

372.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.1K ₪62.6K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

942.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.1K ₪40.7K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

805.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,027 ₪12.5K

$591 ฿19.7K

581.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.03

5.57

-9.69%

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

Last update for Tel Aviv-Yafo: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$1.6K 44.9%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 81.4% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$509 14.3%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 53.8% $274

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$497 14%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 81% $403

Eating Out

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$436 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 82% $358

Clothing & Footwear

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$259 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 58.2% $151

Sport & Entertainment

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$140 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 64.3% $90

Getting Around

Tel Aviv-Yafo

$120 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 49.4% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,213 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $455 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 581% higher in Tel Aviv-Yafo, 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 $127 in Tel Aviv-Yafo versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $509 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Tel Aviv-Yafo

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:53 1:53 PM

17:53 5:53 PM

4 h ahead of Tel Aviv-Yafo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

438,818

127,240

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tel Aviv-Yafo Chiang Mai 6,520 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Tel Aviv-Yafo
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

Tel Aviv-Yafo vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tel Aviv-Yafo costs about 285% 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 $5,342 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $1,388 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 $1,677 per month in Tel Aviv-Yafo and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 116% more in Tel Aviv-Yafo, 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 $925, than in Tel Aviv-Yafo at $3,561. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tel Aviv-Yafo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $3,561 in Tel Aviv-Yafo. 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, Tel Aviv-Yafo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.