Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varese and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,113 in Varese, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Varese
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Varese Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Varese

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,113

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,113 per month in Varese vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Varese $2,113
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,466 per month in Varese vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Varese $3,466
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,818 per month in Varese vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Varese $4,818
Chiang Mai $1,979

Varese costs about 126% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Varese sits 55% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.68 €20.31

$2.24 ฿75.6

912.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €91.7

$19.00 ฿641

438.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 €11.88

$5.55 ฿187

138.92%

Cappuccino

$2.25 €2.02

$1.67 ฿56.5

34.73%

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

$3.54 €3.17

$0.64 ฿21.54

453.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.46

$0.31 ฿10.31

425.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 €5.92

$2.36 ฿79.5

180.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 €5.85

$3.66 ฿124

78.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.95 ฿65.7

-12.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 €2.32

$1.44 ฿48.46

79.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.55 €3.18

$1.33 ฿45.03

166.92%

Eggs

$5.01 €4.48

$2.28 ฿77.1

119.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.22 €27.96

$16.45 ฿555

89.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.97 €11.62

$2.78 ฿93.9

366.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.61 €24.73

$9.31 ฿314

196.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 €2.66

$2.35 ฿79.4

26.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 €2.65

$0.97 ฿32.79

204.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 €2.78

$1.60 ฿53.9

94.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.98

$1.50 ฿50.6

121.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.25

$1.28 ฿43.11

96.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.93

$1.10 ฿37.18

95.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 €1.99

$0.71 ฿23.82

212.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 €0.57

$0.49 ฿16.36

30.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 €6.98

$4.14 ฿140

88.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.03 €8.09

$17.52 ฿591

-48.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.61 ฿54.5

8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.78 ฿93.9

-39.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 €2.38

$0.87 ฿29.30

205.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.50 €44.33

$54.1 ฿1,825

-8.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 €4.97

$1.16 ฿39.04

378.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €2.02

$0.53 ฿17.80

326.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.89 €35.73

$2.42 ฿81.7

1548.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.45 ฿48.88

48.28%

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

$36.9K €33.1K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

75.41%

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

$34.7K €31.1K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

28.90%

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

$219 €197

$62.2 ฿2,098

252.94%

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

$12.64 €11.32

$12.17 ฿411

3.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.52

$20.12 ฿679

63.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 €48.73

$37.31 ฿1,259

45.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.78 €22.19

$3.77 ฿127

557.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 €10.62

$6.49 ฿219

82.59%

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

$726 €650

$736 ฿24.8K

-1.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,098 €6,357

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-51.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €98.1

$53.4 ฿1,801

105.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 €50.2

$24.64 ฿831

127.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €99.3

$91.5 ฿3,087

21.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 €144

$71.9 ฿2,427

123.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 €821

$482 ฿16.3K

90.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$742 €665

$309 ฿10.4K

140.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,682 €1,506

$1,006 ฿33.9K

67.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,406

$633 ฿21.4K

147.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,516 €2,254

$2,363 ฿79.7K

6.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,712 €1,533

$1,589 ฿53.6K

7.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,420 €2,167

$590 ฿19.9K

310.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

5.57

-33.03%

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

Last update for Varese: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varese

$742 35.1%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 58.4% $433

Groceries & Markets

Varese

$439 20.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 46.6% $204

Eating Out

Varese

$315 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 75.4% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varese

$265 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 64.4% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Varese

$197 9.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 44.8% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Varese

$78 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 35.6% $28

Getting Around

Varese

$77 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 20.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $917 in Varese 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 Varese are about 4.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Varese versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Varese

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

22:49 10:49 PM

6 h ahead of Varese

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,511

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Varese Chiang Mai 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Varese
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

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

Varese costs about 126% 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 $3,169 per month in Varese and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $917 in Varese.

Kindergarten costs $726 per month in Varese and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 87% more in Varese, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,113 in Varese and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,113 in Varese. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Varese makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.