Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tuam and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,580 in Tuam, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Tuam
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Tuam Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Tuam

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,580

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,580 per month in Tuam vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tuam $2,580
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $3,675 per month in Tuam vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tuam $3,675
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $4,770 per month in Tuam vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tuam $4,770
Chiang Mai $1,903

Tuam costs about 179% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tuam sits 90% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.76 €17.57

$2.29 ฿76.5

762.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 €54.7

$19.64 ฿656

213.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.32 €12.74

$5.61 ฿188

155.26%

Cappuccino

$4.47 €3.98

$1.66 ฿55.6

169.28%

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

$2.92 €2.60

$0.70 ฿23.40

317.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.65

$0.31 ฿10.24

496.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 €6.25

$2.41 ฿80.4

191.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 €5.86

$3.71 ฿124

77.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.95 ฿65.3

-18.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.41 ฿47.03

61.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$1.31 ฿43.62

46.56%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.93

$2.18 ฿72.9

102.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 €9.14

$16.65 ฿556

-38.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.75 €11.34

$2.76 ฿92.2

361.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.27 €11.81

$9.11 ฿304

45.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.71

$2.39 ฿80.0

27.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$1.03 ฿34.26

122.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$1.63 ฿54.4

89.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 €4.30

$1.50 ฿50.0

222.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.29 ฿43.13

51.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.30

$1.11 ฿37.03

32.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.22

$0.72 ฿24.08

90.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$0.53 ฿17.59

290.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.29 €18.05

$4.31 ฿144

370.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 €12.06

$17.95 ฿600

-24.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 €3.09

$1.58 ฿52.9

119.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.08

$2.84 ฿95.0

21.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 €2.29

$0.86 ฿28.86

198.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 €4.53

$1.21 ฿40.29

320.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 €1.38

$0.57 ฿18.99

171.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.68

$2.35 ฿78.6

1320.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.44 ฿47.96

40.28%

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

$39.0K €34.7K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

87.92%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

42.18%

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

$244 €217

$62.3 ฿2,083

291.64%

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

$21.40 €19.04

$12.11 ฿405

76.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 €44.72

$19.94 ฿666

152.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 €52.4

$37.07 ฿1,239

58.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$13.18 €11.72

$6.50 ฿217

102.77%

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

$1,009 €897

$793 ฿26.5K

27.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,119 €4,553

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-65.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.7 €85.1

$53.7 ฿1,796

78.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.02 €37.38

$24.62 ฿823

70.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €95.7

$90.9 ฿3,036

18.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €101

$71.1 ฿2,378

59.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 €1,431

$455 ฿15.2K

253.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,172

$298 ฿9,954

342.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

$908 ฿30.4K

183.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,092 €1,860

$554 ฿18.5K

277.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,293 €2,929

$1,445 ฿48.3K

127.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

5.57

-25.67%

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

Last update for Tuam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tuam

$1.3K 51.1%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 77.4% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Tuam

$355 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 33.6% $119

Eating Out

Tuam

$322 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 75.6% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tuam

$316 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 70.1% $221

Clothing & Footwear

Tuam

$161 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 33% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Tuam

$85 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 41.3% $35

Getting Around

Tuam

$23 * 0.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 163% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,609 in Tuam 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Tuam versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $355 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Tuam

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:23 8:23 AM

14:23 2:23 PM

6 h ahead of Tuam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,647

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

On the map

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Between locations

Tuam Chiang Mai 9,460 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Tuam
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

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

Tuam costs about 179% 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 $3,870 per month in Tuam 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Tuam and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Tuam, 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 Tuam at $2,580. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tuam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $2,580 in Tuam. 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, Tuam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.