Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bac Kan and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bac Kan: $819 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

38

Cost of Living Index in Bac Kan
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Bac Kan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bac Kan

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$819

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $819 in Bac Kan versus $935 in Chiang Mai.

Bac Kan $819
Chiang Mai $935

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,293 in Bac Kan versus $1,467 in Chiang Mai.

Bac Kan $1,293
Chiang Mai $1,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,768 in Bac Kan versus $1,999 in Chiang Mai.

Bac Kan $1,768
Chiang Mai $1,999

Living in Bac Kan costs roughly 12% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bac Kan 39% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.99 ₫51.4K

$2.13 ฿71.8

-6.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.09 ₫594.9K

$18.62 ฿626

24.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫116.9K

$5.60 ฿188

-18.93%

Cappuccino

$1.88 ₫48.4K

$1.66 ฿55.9

13.25%

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

$0.49 ₫12.6K

$0.65 ฿21.75

-24.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,591

$0.30 ฿10.25

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ₫30.7K

$2.32 ฿78.1

-48.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₫50.8K

$3.67 ฿123

-46.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ₫39.2K

$2.02 ฿67.8

-24.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ₫25.9K

$1.41 ฿47.34

-28.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 ₫21.0K

$1.39 ฿46.79

-41.73%

Eggs

$1.52 ₫39.1K

$2.37 ฿79.6

-35.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫311.1K

$16.52 ฿555

-26.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 ₫95.4K

$2.67 ฿89.8

38.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.27 ₫238.8K

$9.02 ฿303

2.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 ₫82.0K

$2.40 ฿80.6

32.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 ₫26.4K

$1.04 ฿35.01

-1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.5K

$1.66 ฿55.8

-21.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₫28.8K

$1.56 ฿52.4

-28.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₫23.4K

$1.24 ฿41.61

-26.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.5K

$1.09 ฿36.53

5.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ₫15.2K

$0.76 ฿25.61

-22.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₫13.7K

$0.51 ฿17.29

3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.40 ₫36.0K

$4.12 ฿139

-66.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 ₫273.4K

$17.93 ฿603

-40.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₫23.8K

$1.62 ฿54.6

-43.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₫42.0K

$2.82 ฿94.9

-42.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ₫9,037

$0.93 ฿31.42

-62.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.71 ₫198.5K

$52.9 ฿1,778

-85.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 ₫23.7K

$1.18 ฿39.56

-22.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₫15.5K

$0.17 ฿5.76

252.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ₫61.8K

$1.81 ฿60.9

32.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$1.47 ฿49.51

-38.10%

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

$30.7K ₫790.2M

$21.0K ฿706.4K

45.99%

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

$28.8K ₫743.0M

$26.5K ฿891.4K

8.77%

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

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$62.6 ฿2,103

33.42%

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

$4.92 ₫126.8K

$11.60 ฿390

-57.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.79 ₫226.4K

$20.30 ฿683

-56.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.75 ₫457.3K

$37.88 ฿1,274

-53.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.94 ₫204.7K

$3.70 ฿124

114.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 ₫116.5K

$6.51 ฿219

-30.57%

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

$333 ₫8.6M

$727 ฿24.4K

-54.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K ₫755.6M

$16.6K ฿557.2K

76.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 ₫1.1M

$53.5 ฿1,800

-16.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.13 ₫724.7K

$24.80 ฿834

13.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ₫2.2M

$90.4 ฿3,039

-6.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.1 ₫1.9M

$72.0 ฿2,420

1.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 ₫11.6M

$481 ฿16.2K

-6.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ₫8.2M

$310 ฿10.4K

3.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 ₫15.6M

$1,058 ฿35.6K

-42.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 ₫17.0M

$659 ฿22.1K

0.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,473 ₫63.7M

$2,418 ฿81.3K

2.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,146 ₫29.5M

$1,609 ฿54.1K

-28.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.17

5.57

46.68%

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

Last update for Bac Kan: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bac Kan

$320 39.1%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 3.2% $10

Groceries & Markets

Bac Kan

$193 23.5%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 22.7% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Bac Kan

$104 12.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 4.4% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bac Kan

$97 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 2.8% $2.7

Eating Out

Bac Kan

$65 8%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 17.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Bac Kan

$27 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 89.9% $24

Getting Around

Bac Kan

$13 1.6%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 350% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $452 in Bac Kan and $481 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Bac Kan vs $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $237, with Bac Kan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Bac Kan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

Same time as Bac Kan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,510

127,240

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,880 VND (100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bac Kan Chiang Mai 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bac Kan
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

Bac Kan vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bac Kan is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,229 in Bac Kan and $1,403 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $452 in Bac Kan versus $481 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $23 in Bac Kan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $819 per month in Bac Kan versus $935 in Chiang Mai – Bac Kan is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Bac Kan and Chiang Mai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.