Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zell am see and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,284 in Zell am see, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Zell am see
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Zell am see Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Zell am see

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,284

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,284 per month in Zell am see vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zell am see $2,284
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,355 per month in Zell am see vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zell am see $3,355
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $4,427 per month in Zell am see vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zell am see $4,427
Chiang Mai $1,999

Zell am see costs about 144% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Zell am see sits 69% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.93 €15.10

$2.13 ฿72.0

694.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 €74.3

$18.62 ฿628

347.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 €8.85

$5.60 ฿189

77.14%

Cappuccino

$4.18 €3.73

$1.66 ฿56.1

151.81%

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

$3.43 €3.06

$0.65 ฿21.82

427.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.62

$0.30 ฿10.29

876.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.61 €5.01

$2.32 ฿78.3

141.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 €4.72

$3.67 ฿124

44.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.54

$2.02 ฿68.0

-14.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 €2.19

$1.41 ฿47.49

74.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 €2.18

$1.39 ฿46.94

75.54%

Eggs

$4.58 €4.09

$2.37 ฿79.9

93.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.53 €19.21

$16.52 ฿557

30.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.72 €11.35

$2.67 ฿90.1

376.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.30 €19.00

$9.02 ฿304

136.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.59

$2.40 ฿80.9

20.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$1.04 ฿35.12

149.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.06

$1.66 ฿56.0

106.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 €3.55

$1.56 ฿52.6

155.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.22

$1.24 ฿41.75

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 €2.78

$1.09 ฿36.65

186.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 €1.99

$0.76 ฿25.70

193.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.09

$0.51 ฿17.34

139.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.92 €7.06

$4.12 ฿139

92.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 €7.83

$17.93 ฿605

-51.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.62 ฿54.8

-19.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.82 ฿95.2

-21.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 €2.46

$0.93 ฿31.52

196.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 €50.8

$52.9 ฿1,784

7.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 €2.54

$1.18 ฿39.69

141.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 €0.81

$0.17 ฿5.78

435.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.99 €27.64

$1.81 ฿61.1

1612.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.47 ฿49.67

19.73%

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

$30.4K €27.1K

$21.0K ฿708.7K

44.65%

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

$30.6K €27.3K

$26.5K ฿894.4K

15.23%

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

$342 €305

$62.6 ฿2,110

446.42%

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

$15.74 €14.04

$11.60 ฿391

35.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.72 €33.65

$20.30 ฿685

85.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.28 €35.93

$37.88 ฿1,278

6.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.52 €20.09

$3.70 ฿125

508.65%

Cinema Ticket

$15.60 €13.91

$6.51 ฿220

139.63%

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

$443 €395

$727 ฿24.5K

-39.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.1K

$16.6K ฿559.0K

-4.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 €75.6

$53.5 ฿1,806

58.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 €53.6

$24.80 ฿836

142.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €101

$90.4 ฿3,049

25.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €110

$72.0 ฿2,428

71.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 €901

$481 ฿16.2K

110.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$900 €802

$310 ฿10.5K

190.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 €1,401

$1,058 ฿35.7K

48.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 €1,256

$659 ฿22.2K

113.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 €6,260

$2,418 ฿81.5K

190.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,784 €5,159

$1,609 ฿54.3K

259.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.57

-37.16%

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

Last update for Zell am see: November 3, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zell am see

$900 39.4%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 65.5% $590

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zell am see

$395 17.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 76.1% $301

Groceries & Markets

Zell am see

$391 17.1%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 39.5% $155

Eating Out

Zell am see

$279 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 72.6% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Zell am see

$171 7.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 36.8% $63

Getting Around

Zell am see

$75 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 22.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Zell am see

$71 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 28.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,011 in Zell am see versus $481 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 $83 in Zell am see versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Zell am see

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:38 1:38 AM

07:38 7:38 AM

6 h ahead of Zell am see

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,131

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

Zell am see Chiang Mai 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Zell am see
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

Zell am see vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zell am see costs about 144% 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 $3,426 per month in Zell am see 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 $481 there versus $1,011 in Zell am see.

Kindergarten costs $443 per month in Zell am see and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 65% more in Zell am see, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,284 in Zell am see and $935 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $2,284 in Zell am see. 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.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 59% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.