Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ansan and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,415 in Ansan, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Ansan
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Ansan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ansan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,415

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,415 in Ansan versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Ansan $1,415
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Ansan versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Ansan $2,177
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,939 in Ansan versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Ansan $2,939
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Ansan is roughly 51% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ansan is 4% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.43 ₩9,958

$2.24 ฿75.5

231.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.75 ₩46.6K

$19.00 ฿640

82.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 ₩8,976

$5.55 ฿187

20.72%

Cappuccino

$4.09 ₩5,486

$1.67 ฿56.4

144.91%

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

$1.58 ₩2,113

$0.64 ฿21.51

146.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₩1,027

$0.31 ฿10.29

148.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 ₩4,769

$2.36 ฿79.5

50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ₩6,166

$3.66 ฿123

25.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,743

$1.95 ฿65.7

5.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,128

$1.44 ฿48.41

113.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 ₩3,158

$1.33 ฿44.97

77.44%

Eggs

$3.68 ₩4,938

$2.28 ฿77.0

61.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 ₩21.5K

$16.45 ฿554

-2.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 ₩10.7K

$2.78 ฿93.8

187.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.18 ₩23.0K

$9.31 ฿314

84.53%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$2.35 ฿79.3

225.96%

Banana (1kg)

$3.23 ₩4,334

$0.97 ฿32.75

232.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,785

$1.60 ฿53.8

263.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.43 ₩8,621

$1.50 ฿50.6

328.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,815

$1.28 ฿43.06

180.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 ₩3,546

$1.10 ฿37.14

140.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₩2,864

$0.71 ฿23.79

201.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,544

$0.49 ฿16.34

134.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,514

$4.14 ฿140

-18.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.15 ₩25.7K

$17.52 ฿590

9.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₩3,085

$1.61 ฿54.4

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₩4,420

$2.78 ฿93.8

18.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,529

$0.87 ฿29.27

31.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 ₩5,052

$1.16 ฿39.00

225.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩857

$0.53 ฿17.78

20.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.26 ₩12.4K

$2.42 ฿81.6

282.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₩1,886

$1.45 ฿48.82

-2.76%

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

$29.9K ₩40.1M

$21.1K ฿709.7K

42.09%

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

$29.0K ₩38.9M

$26.9K ฿907.9K

7.72%

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

$213 ₩285.8K

$62.2 ฿2,095

242.91%

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

$35.59 ₩47.7K

$12.17 ฿410

192.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.25 ₩28.5K

$20.12 ฿678

5.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.00 ₩49.6K

$37.31 ฿1,257

-0.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 ₩15.2K

$6.49 ฿219

75.19%

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

$299 ₩400.9K

$736 ฿24.8K

-59.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K ₩24.4M

$14.8K ฿497.6K

23.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ₩77.2K

$53.4 ฿1,799

7.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.41 ₩44.8K

$24.64 ฿830

35.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ₩95.9K

$91.5 ฿3,083

-21.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 ₩110.4K

$71.9 ฿2,424

14.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₩617.3K

$482 ฿16.3K

-4.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 ₩504.0K

$309 ฿10.4K

21.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 ₩1.5M

$1,006 ฿33.9K

10.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 ₩1.0M

$633 ฿21.3K

20.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$21.1K ₩28.3M

$2,363 ฿79.6K

794.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,493 ₩2.0M

$590 ฿19.9K

153.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.57

-26.75%

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

Last update for Ansan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ansan

$423 29.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 44.6% $189

Accommodation & Living

Ansan

$376 26.6%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 17.8% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ansan

$270 19.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 65% $176

Eating Out

Ansan

$165 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 53% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Ansan

$110 7.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 1.4% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Ansan

$60 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 15.8% $9.5

Getting Around

Ansan

$12 * 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 432% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $461 in Ansan and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ansan pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $35 in Ansan vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $423 vs $234 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Ansan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

14:48 2:48 PM

2 h behind Ansan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

677,710

127,240

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ansan Chiang Mai 3,400 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ansan
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

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

Chiang Mai is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Ansan is about 2.5 times higher, 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: $461 in Ansan versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Ansan versus $736 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 versus $35 in Ansan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ansan and Chiang Mai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Ansan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.