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: $1,375 in Andong versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Andong versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,992 in Andong versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Andong is roughly 61% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Andong is 3% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 ₩10.8K

$1.96 ฿63.6

272.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.06 ₩53.1K

$18.81 ฿611

91.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 ₩7,850

$7.92 ฿258

-32.70%

Cappuccino

$3.79 ₩5,579

$1.91 ฿62.2

98.43%

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

$1.57 ₩2,314

$0.84 ฿27.25

86.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,185

$0.35 ฿11.44

128.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 ₩4,761

$2.21 ฿71.7

46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 ₩7,042

$3.80 ฿124

25.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₩3,197

$1.64 ฿53.2

32.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 ₩4,564

$1.62 ฿52.8

91.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 ₩4,596

$1.18 ฿38.40

164.41%

Eggs

$2.89 ₩4,254

$2.01 ฿65.4

43.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 ₩15.6K

$15.89 ฿517

-33.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 ₩12.5K

$3.01 ฿98.0

181.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.49 ₩40.5K

$10.77 ฿350

155.25%

Apples (1kg)

$7.77 ₩11.4K

$2.61 ฿85.0

197.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,589

$1.22 ฿39.65

154.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.65 ₩8,331

$1.70 ฿55.4

232.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.35 ₩7,883

$1.58 ฿51.2

238.61%

Potato (1kg)

$4.03 ₩5,943

$1.32 ฿42.89

205.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 ₩4,230

$1.17 ฿38.01

145.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 ₩3,321

$0.67 ฿21.85

235.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,694

$0.56 ฿18.21

105.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 ₩4,952

$4.53 ฿147

-25.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 ₩22.2K

$18.20 ฿592

-17.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ₩2,644

$1.83 ฿59.6

-2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,969

$3.23 ฿105

4.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,644

$0.89 ฿28.83

25.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿630

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 ₩5,064

$1.35 ฿43.95

154.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₩828

$1.35 ฿43.79

-58.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.64 ₩12.7K

$8.25 ฿268

4.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ₩1,705

$1.27 ฿41.40

-8.66%

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

$28.1K ₩41.4M

$21.2K ฿687.8K

32.89%

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

$24.8K ₩36.5M

$22.5K ฿731.0K

10.13%

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

$165 ₩243.6K

$70.2 ฿2,281

135.74%

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

$34.65 ₩51.1K

$13.77 ฿448

151.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.97 ₩32.4K

$17.60 ฿572

24.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.37 ₩71.3K

$41.57 ฿1,352

16.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿215

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 ₩16.0K

$5.78 ฿188

88.41%

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

$419 ₩617.8K

$306 ฿9,953

36.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K ₩34.4M

$14.8K ฿482.0K

57.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 ₩85.3K

$54.4 ฿1,768

6.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.61 ₩68.7K

$26.14 ฿850

78.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ₩119.6K

$84.5 ฿2,748

-4.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ₩174.8K

$69.4 ฿2,257

70.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ₩669.8K

$424 ฿13.8K

7.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 ₩552.8K

$238 ฿7,743

57.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₩1.6M

$825 ฿26.8K

29.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 ₩1.1M

$515 ฿16.7K

48.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,688 ₩14.3M

$2,049 ฿66.6K

372.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,216 ₩9.2M

$1,523 ฿49.5K

308.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,695 ₩2.5M

$635 ฿20.6K

166.90%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Andong and $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Andong pays 167% 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: $36.00 in Andong vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $427 vs $243 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 61% 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.

Andong pays 167% more on average, 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: $455 in Andong versus $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $419 in Andong versus $306 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 $36.00 in Andong. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,375 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 61% less than in Andong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.