Istanbul vs Chiang Mai Cost of Living
Istanbul (Türkiye) · Overall index 38.0 — Chiang Mai (Thailand) · Overall index 26.0
Summary
- Overall, Chiang Mai is 32% cheaper than Istanbul.
- Rent in Chiang Mai is 49% cheaper than in Istanbul.
- Transport in Chiang Mai is 30% cheaper than in Istanbul.
| Item | Istanbul | Chiang Mai | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -49% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $834 | $477 | -43% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $681 | $325 | -52% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,641 | $805 | -51% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,017 | $542 | -47% |
| Groceries | -29% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.59 | $0.53 | -10% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.97 | $1.44 | -27% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.57 | $1.68 | -35% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.68 | $1.78 | -34% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $7.92 | $4.79 | -40% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.79 | $4.84 | -29% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $9.75 | $6.72 | -31% |
| Apples (1kg) | $3.01 | $2.14 | -29% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.95 | $0.79 | -17% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.33 | $1.82 | -22% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.89 | $2.21 | -24% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.67 | $1.07 | -36% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.52 | $0.94 | -38% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.42 | $0.93 | -35% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.12 | $0.87 | -22% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $7.89 | $5.67 | -28% |
| Transport | -30% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1 | $0.71 | -29% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $46.8 | $38.2 | -18% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.8 | $1.11 | -38% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.89 | $0.56 | -37% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.4 | $0.29 | -28% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $12,051 | $8,510 | -29% |
| Dining out | -24% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $9.61 | $6.98 | -27% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $46.8 | $40 | -15% |
| Fast food combo meal | $5.61 | $3.87 | -31% |
| Cappuccino | $2.14 | $1.62 | -24% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.11 | $0.9 | -19% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $3.04 | $2.41 | -21% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.62 | $2.63 | -27% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.87 | $0.64 | -26% |
| Telecom | -30% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $37.5 | $24.9 | -34% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $40.2 | $26.6 | -34% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.18 | $0.15 | -17% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $8.91 | $6.1 | -32% |
| Utilities & household | -27% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $96 | $67.6 | -30% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.1 | $0.08 | -20% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.38 | $1.58 | -34% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.77 | $0.56 | -27% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $10.9 | $8.03 | -26% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $42.1 | $32.5 | -23% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $8.61 | $6.4 | -26% |
| Men's haircut | $15.3 | $10.6 | -31% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $11.8 | $9.66 | -18% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,178 | $810 | -31% |
3,343 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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