Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buon Ma Thuot and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Buon Ma Thuot: $792 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

36

Cost of Living Index in Buon Ma Thuot
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Buon Ma Thuot Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Buon Ma Thuot

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$792

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $792 per month in Buon Ma Thuot vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Buon Ma Thuot $792
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,182 per month in Buon Ma Thuot vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Buon Ma Thuot $1,182
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,572 per month in Buon Ma Thuot vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Buon Ma Thuot $1,572
Chiang Mai $1,999

Buon Ma Thuot is about 15% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Buon Ma Thuot and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Buon Ma Thuot 41% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ₫53.6K

$2.13 ฿71.8

-2.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.47 ₫295.4K

$18.62 ฿626

-38.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.16 ₫107.1K

$5.60 ฿188

-25.71%

Cappuccino

$1.01 ₫26.1K

$1.66 ฿55.9

-39.16%

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

$0.34 ₫8,697

$0.65 ฿21.75

-47.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₫9,775

$0.30 ฿10.25

26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₫31.6K

$2.32 ฿78.1

-46.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₫33.3K

$3.67 ฿123

-64.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₫43.2K

$2.02 ฿67.8

-16.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ₫25.5K

$1.41 ฿47.34

-29.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 ₫19.4K

$1.39 ฿46.79

-46.04%

Eggs

$1.47 ₫37.9K

$2.37 ฿79.6

-37.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ₫344.7K

$16.52 ฿555

-19.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ₫88.8K

$2.67 ฿89.8

29.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 ₫268.2K

$9.02 ฿303

15.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ₫84.0K

$2.40 ฿80.6

35.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ₫28.5K

$1.04 ฿35.01

6.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.5K

$1.66 ฿55.8

-21.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₫29.0K

$1.56 ฿52.4

-27.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 ₫25.9K

$1.24 ฿41.61

-18.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.0K

$1.09 ฿36.53

-3.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ₫14.0K

$0.76 ฿25.61

-27.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.5K

$0.51 ฿17.29

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.60 ₫41.2K

$4.12 ฿139

-61.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₫219.0K

$17.93 ฿603

-52.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₫19.7K

$1.62 ฿54.6

-52.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ₫41.4K

$2.82 ฿94.9

-42.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₫8,288

$0.93 ฿31.42

-65.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.08 ₫156.6K

$52.9 ฿1,778

-88.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₫19.5K

$1.18 ฿39.56

-35.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 ₫13.2K

$0.17 ฿5.76

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 ₫65.3K

$1.81 ฿60.9

40.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 ₫25.5K

$1.47 ฿49.51

-32.65%

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

$33.3K ₫857.2M

$21.0K ฿706.4K

58.37%

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

$28.7K ₫738.1M

$26.5K ฿891.4K

8.06%

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

$77.0 ₫2.0M

$62.6 ฿2,103

23.05%

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

$5.60 ₫144.3K

$11.60 ฿390

-51.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.78 ₫251.9K

$20.30 ฿683

-51.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.61 ₫582.5K

$37.88 ฿1,274

-40.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.52 ₫219.6K

$3.70 ฿124

130.27%

Cinema Ticket

$3.12 ₫80.3K

$6.51 ฿219

-52.07%

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

$351 ₫9.1M

$727 ฿24.4K

-51.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ₫403.1M

$16.6K ฿557.2K

-5.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.54 ₫1.3M

$53.5 ฿1,800

-9.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ₫760.4K

$24.80 ฿834

19.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 ₫2.2M

$90.4 ฿3,039

-5.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 ₫1.8M

$72.0 ฿2,420

-3.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 ₫11.3M

$481 ฿16.2K

-8.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 ₫7.9M

$310 ฿10.4K

-1.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 ₫16.7M

$1,058 ฿35.6K

-38.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₫13.8M

$659 ฿22.1K

-18.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,137 ₫55.1M

$2,418 ฿81.3K

-11.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,304 ₫33.6M

$1,609 ฿54.1K

-18.95%

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 Buon Ma Thuot: 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

Buon Ma Thuot

$307 38.7%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 1% $3.1

Groceries & Markets

Buon Ma Thuot

$196 24.7%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 20.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Buon Ma Thuot

$105 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 3.5% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buon Ma Thuot

$92 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 2.3% $2.1

Eating Out

Buon Ma Thuot

$53 6.7%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 44.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Buon Ma Thuot

$29 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 76.5% $22

Getting Around

Buon Ma Thuot

$11 1.4%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 449% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $439 in Buon Ma Thuot versus $481 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Buon Ma Thuot versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $237 – making Buon Ma Thuot the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Buon Ma Thuot

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

Same time as Buon Ma Thuot

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

245,951

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

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Highest

Between locations

Buon Ma Thuot Chiang Mai 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Buon Ma Thuot
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

Buon Ma Thuot vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $792 in Buon Ma Thuot, $935 in Chiang Mai – Buon Ma Thuot comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,188 per month in Buon Ma Thuot and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $439 in Buon Ma Thuot and $481 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Buon Ma Thuot and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $792 in Buon Ma Thuot and $935 in Chiang Mai. That makes Buon Ma Thuot about 15% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $792 in Buon Ma Thuot and $935 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Buon Ma Thuot – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Buon Ma Thuot is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 15% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.