Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zaandam and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,349 in Zaandam, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. The total is higher in Zaandam despite lower rent and utilities.

66

Cost of Living Index in Zaandam
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Zaandam Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Zaandam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$1,349

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Zaandam vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zaandam $1,349
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,435 per month in Zaandam vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zaandam $3,435
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $5,520 per month in Zaandam vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zaandam $5,520
Chiang Mai $1,914

Zaandam costs about 44% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Zaandam sits 0% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.15 €19.70

$2.26 ฿75.4

880.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 €72.3

$19.18 ฿641

323.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.34 €11.87

$5.59 ฿187

138.64%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.69

$1.72 ฿57.6

141.28%

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

$3.71 €3.30

$0.64 ฿21.54

479.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.92

$0.33 ฿11.18

893.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.10

$2.36 ฿78.7

143.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.64

$3.90 ฿130

33.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.15

$2.05 ฿68.6

-37.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 €2.48

$1.40 ฿46.70

99.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$1.28 ฿42.89

113.28%

Eggs

$4.72 €4.20

$2.25 ฿75.3

109.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €12.00

$16.94 ฿566

-20.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.55 €11.17

$2.74 ฿91.6

358.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.72 €14.87

$9.36 ฿313

78.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$2.40 ฿80.3

12.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.09

$1.01 ฿33.92

132.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.61 ฿53.9

12.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 €3.76

$1.52 ฿50.7

177.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.28 ฿42.90

46.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.11 ฿37.22

104.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.09

$0.72 ฿24.09

70.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.93

$0.52 ฿17.54

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.75 €12.23

$4.33 ฿145

217.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.97 €6.20

$17.73 ฿593

-60.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.63 ฿54.4

-7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.18

$2.85 ฿95.3

-14.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 €3.14

$0.85 ฿28.31

315.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.1 €75.7

$53.9 ฿1,801

57.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 €5.76

$1.17 ฿39.18

453.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.04

$0.57 ฿19.00

301.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.63 €22.80

$2.37 ฿79.2

981.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.42 €2.15

$1.45 ฿48.32

66.90%

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

$40.6K €36.1K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

98.45%

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

$37.9K €33.7K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

42.81%

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

$260 €231

$62.3 ฿2,083

317.20%

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

$24.17 €21.50

$12.27 ฿410

96.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 €49.42

$19.97 ฿668

178.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.37 €40.36

$37.91 ฿1,267

19.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.91 €24.83

$3.76 ฿126

642.29%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 €14.16

$6.71 ฿224

137.26%

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

$2,490 €2,215

$797 ฿26.6K

212.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,701 €5,960

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-54.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.8 €75.4

$53.3 ฿1,780

59.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.40 €35.94

$25.05 ฿837

61.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €87.6

$91.6 ฿3,062

7.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €91.2

$73.5 ฿2,455

39.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,356 €1,206

$464 ฿15.5K

192.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 €1,475

$915 ฿30.6K

81.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,536 €2,256

$552 ฿18.5K

359.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,319 €4,731

$1,912 ฿63.9K

178.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,264 €3,793

$1,438 ฿48.1K

196.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,657 €4,143

$595 ฿19.9K

682.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

5.57

-31.78%

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

Last update for Zaandam: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zaandam

$340 25.2%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 72.2% $245

Eating Out

Zaandam

$334 24.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 76.4% $255

Groceries & Markets

Zaandam

$334 24.8%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 28.7% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Zaandam

$147 10.9%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 25.4% $37

Getting Around

Zaandam

$117 8.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 47.7% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Zaandam

$77 5.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 33.5% $26

Accommodation & Living

Zaandam

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,356 in Zaandam 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 683% higher in Zaandam, 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 $81.0 in Zaandam versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Zaandam

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

06:25 6:25 AM

5 h ahead of Zaandam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,804

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

Zaandam Chiang Mai 8,640 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Zaandam
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

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

Zaandam costs about 44% 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 $2,023 per month in Zaandam 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 $2,490 per month in Zaandam 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 40% more in Zaandam, 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 Zaandam at $1,349. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zaandam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,349 in Zaandam. 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, Zaandam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.