Summary of cost of living in Chiang Mai, Thailand:
Restaurants | |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant | 1.74 € | |
| Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) | 16.71 € | |
| Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) | 6.94 € | |
| Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) | 1.94 € | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) | 3.34 € | |
| Cappuccino (Regular Size) | 1.64 € | |
| Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) | 0.68 € | |
| Bottled Water (12 oz) | 0.29 € | |
Markets | |
|
| Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) | 1.52 € | |
| Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) | 1.19 € | |
| White Rice (1 lb) | 0.46 € | |
| Eggs (12, Large Size) | 1.79 € | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.41 € | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 1.17 € | |
| Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) | 3.99 € | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 1.14 € | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | 0.44 € | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 0.67 € | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | 0.67 € | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | 0.57 € | |
| Onions (1 lb) | 0.48 € | |
| Lettuce (1 Head) | 0.59 € | |
| Bottled Water (50 oz) | 0.45 € | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 16.05 € | |
| Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) | 1.53 € | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) | 2.81 € | |
| Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) | 3.74 € | |
Transportation | |
|
| One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) | 0.80 € | |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) | 16.51 € | |
| Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) | 1.27 € | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) | 1.83 € | |
| Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) | 6.95 € | |
| Gasoline (1 Liter) | 1.11 € | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) | 19,388.87 € | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) | 22,574.66 € | |
Utilities (Monthly) | |
|
| Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) | 57.45 € | |
| Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) | 11.53 € | |
| Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) | 16.01 € | |
Sports And Leisure | |
|
| Monthly Fitness Club Membership | 29.04 € | |
| Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) | 5.88 € | |
| Cinema Ticket (International Release) | 4.41 € | |
Childcare | |
|
| Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child | 556.04 € | |
| International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child | 13,137.63 € | |
Clothing And Shoes | |
|
| Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) | 53.49 € | |
| Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) | 16.31 € | |
| Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 80.23 € | |
| Men's Leather Business Shoes | 62.04 € | |
Rent Per Month | |
|
| 1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 379.79 € | |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 214.28 € | |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 718.42 € | |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 424.81 € | |
Buy Apartment Price | |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 177.02 € | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 124.85 € | |
Salaries And Financing | |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 650.20 € | |
| Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) | 5.10 |
Sources and References
| Cost of Living in Chiang Rai | 116.48 miles |
| Cost of Living in Phitsanulok | 242.68 miles |
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How do I find a rental unit prior to being there?
Your advice is much appreciated.
That said, if you are comfortable with the tropics, and with a third world country, and a place where few inhabitants speaks any language other than their native tongue, it seems a great place to retire!
And the person talking about the Rats.... HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO NEW YORK...hahaha.. Chiang Mai is a great place and i can't wait to go back...
For someone seeking to expatriate for retirement, the Quality of Life metric could be adjusted, since a retiree is not relying on local income. I assume the Quality of Life also takes into account the average income of local inhabitants, and if their purchasing power is low, this might not matter too much to a retiree from a more affluent country.
You might want to give some thought to that.
Thank you for everything!