Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulm and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,140 in Ulm, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ulm
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Ulm Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ulm

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,140

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,140 per month in Ulm vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ulm $2,140
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,245 per month in Ulm vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ulm $3,245
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $4,350 per month in Ulm vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ulm $4,350
Chiang Mai $1,914

Ulm costs about 128% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ulm sits 59% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.80 €14.94

$2.26 ฿75.4

643.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.6 €59.2

$19.18 ฿641

247.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.31 €11.84

$5.59 ฿187

138.10%

Cappuccino

$3.84 €3.42

$1.72 ฿57.6

123.26%

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

$4.64 €4.13

$0.64 ฿21.54

625.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.71

$0.33 ฿11.18

481.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 €4.11

$2.36 ฿78.7

95.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 €3.92

$3.90 ฿130

13.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.30

$2.05 ฿68.6

-28.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.83

$1.40 ฿46.70

46.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 €3.68

$1.28 ฿42.89

223.44%

Eggs

$3.64 €3.24

$2.25 ฿75.3

61.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 €12.76

$16.94 ฿566

-15.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.74

$2.74 ฿91.6

258.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.54 €22.72

$9.36 ฿313

172.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 €3.06

$2.40 ฿80.3

43.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.96

$1.01 ฿33.92

118.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$1.61 ฿53.9

19.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.48

$1.52 ฿50.7

157.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.28 ฿42.90

-15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.11 ฿37.22

0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.48

$0.72 ฿24.09

130.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.06

$0.52 ฿17.54

130.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.59 €8.53

$4.33 ฿145

121.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$17.73 ฿593

-68.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.63 ฿54.4

-29.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.35

$2.85 ฿95.3

-46.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.10 €2.76

$0.85 ฿28.31

264.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 €57.3

$53.9 ฿1,801

19.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.45 ฿48.32

46.90%

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

$32.2K €28.6K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

57.26%

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

$37.9K €33.7K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

42.80%

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

$377 €336

$62.3 ฿2,083

505.21%

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

$34.04 €30.28

$12.27 ฿410

177.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 €47.05

$19.97 ฿668

164.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.61 €29.89

$37.91 ฿1,267

-11.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.70 €20.19

$3.76 ฿126

503.72%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 €11.95

$6.71 ฿224

100.30%

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

$441 €393

$797 ฿26.6K

-44.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K €11.6K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-12.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 €80.3

$53.3 ฿1,780

69.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 €49.08

$25.05 ฿837

120.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 €79.6

$91.6 ฿3,062

-2.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €131

$73.5 ฿2,455

101.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 €828

$464 ฿15.5K

100.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 €666

$305 ฿10.2K

145.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 €1,628

$915 ฿30.6K

99.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 €1,308

$552 ฿18.5K

166.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,901 €5,249

$1,912 ฿63.9K

208.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,961 €3,524

$1,438 ฿48.1K

175.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,737 €3,324

$595 ฿19.9K

527.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

5.57

-28.73%

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

Last update for Ulm: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulm

$749 35%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 59.3% $444

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulm

$464 21.7%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 79.6% $370

Groceries & Markets

Ulm

$339 15.9%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 29.9% $101

Eating Out

Ulm

$279 13%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 71.6% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Ulm

$172 8%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 36.4% $63

Getting Around

Ulm

$77 * 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 20.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Ulm

$60 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 15.1% $9.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $931 in Ulm 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 528% higher in Ulm, 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 $67.0 in Ulm versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Ulm

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

04:29 4:29 AM

5 h ahead of Ulm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

121,648

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

Ulm Chiang Mai 8,390 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ulm
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

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

Ulm costs about 128% 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 $3,211 per month in Ulm 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 $441 per month in Ulm 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 43% more in Ulm, 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 Ulm at $2,140. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ulm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,140 in Ulm. 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, Ulm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.