Cost of Living Comparison Between Andong and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Andong and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,422 in Andong versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,186 in Andong versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,950 in Andong versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Andong is roughly 67% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Andong is 7% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.26 ₩10.5K

$2.04 ฿68.4

255.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.14 ₩53.6K

$18.71 ฿626

98.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 ₩7,798

$7.86 ฿263

-31.30%

Cappuccino

$3.75 ₩5,418

$2.03 ฿67.9

84.73%

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

$1.53 ₩2,209

$0.80 ฿26.71

91.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₩1,208

$0.35 ฿11.71

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 ₩4,715

$2.14 ฿71.7

52.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 ₩7,119

$3.67 ฿123

34.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₩3,091

$1.73 ฿57.8

23.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 ₩4,479

$1.57 ฿52.5

97.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 ₩4,353

$1.20 ฿40.10

151.67%

Eggs

$3.01 ₩4,339

$1.97 ฿66.0

52.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 ₩14.8K

$16.23 ฿543

-36.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 ₩12.2K

$3.06 ฿102

175.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.94 ₩40.3K

$10.80 ฿361

158.70%

Apples (1kg)

$7.90 ₩11.4K

$2.77 ฿92.6

185.20%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 ₩4,467

$1.17 ฿39.05

164.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.67 ₩8,181

$1.71 ฿57.1

231.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 ₩7,518

$1.59 ฿53.3

227.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 ₩5,747

$1.39 ฿46.63

186.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 ₩4,257

$1.16 ฿38.67

154.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₩3,140

$0.66 ฿22.11

230.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,653

$0.52 ฿17.35

119.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 ₩4,738

$4.65 ฿155

-29.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.85 ₩24.3K

$17.78 ฿595

-5.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₩2,637

$1.79 ฿59.8

2.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ₩4,661

$3.34 ฿112

-3.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 ₩1,545

$0.91 ฿30.35

17.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿624

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩5,039

$1.41 ฿47.17

147.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ₩774

$1.34 ฿44.82

-59.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.59 ₩12.4K

$8.11 ฿271

5.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₩1,689

$1.23 ฿41.27

-4.88%

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

$27.3K ₩39.4M

$21.4K ฿717.0K

27.27%

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

$25.3K ₩36.5M

$21.8K ฿730.0K

15.92%

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

$166 ₩239.3K

$71.3 ฿2,386

132.44%

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

$34.31 ₩49.5K

$14.01 ฿469

144.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.48 ₩32.4K

$17.93 ฿600

25.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.34 ₩68.3K

$40.82 ฿1,365

15.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$10.85 ₩15.7K

$5.72 ฿191

89.69%

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

$411 ₩592.6K

$308 ฿10.3K

33.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K ₩33.2M

$14.7K ฿491.0K

56.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 ₩84.7K

$55.8 ฿1,865

5.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.41 ₩69.9K

$26.04 ฿871

85.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₩116.1K

$84.8 ฿2,837

-5.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ₩169.4K

$71.0 ฿2,375

65.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 ₩652.6K

$423 ฿14.2K

6.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 ₩549.9K

$242 ฿8,110

57.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 ₩1.5M

$797 ฿26.7K

33.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 ₩1.1M

$507 ฿17.0K

49.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,949 ₩10.0M

$1,918 ฿64.2K

262.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,550 ₩8.0M

$1,464 ฿49.0K

279.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,688 ₩2.4M

$595 ฿19.9K

183.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

-17.20%

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

Last update for Andong: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $452 in Andong and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Andong pays 184% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $37.00 in Andong vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $430 vs $244 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Andong. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 184% higher in Andong, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $452 in Andong versus $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $411 in Andong versus $308 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $37.00 in Andong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,422 in Andong, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Andong. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $852 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Andong and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Andong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.