Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cam Pha and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Cam Pha: $770 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Cam Pha
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Cam Pha Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cam Pha

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$770

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $770 in Cam Pha versus $935 in Chiang Mai.

Cam Pha $770
Chiang Mai $935

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,235 in Cam Pha versus $1,467 in Chiang Mai.

Cam Pha $1,235
Chiang Mai $1,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,700 in Cam Pha versus $1,999 in Chiang Mai.

Cam Pha $1,700
Chiang Mai $1,999

Living in Cam Pha costs roughly 18% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cam Pha 43% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.01 ₫51.9K

$2.13 ฿71.8

-5.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.13 ₫595.9K

$18.62 ฿626

24.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.24 ₫109.3K

$5.60 ฿188

-24.29%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.6K

$1.66 ฿55.9

11.45%

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

$0.51 ₫13.2K

$0.65 ฿21.75

-21.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₫7,929

$0.30 ฿10.25

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₫29.4K

$2.32 ฿78.1

-50.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₫50.4K

$3.67 ฿123

-46.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ₫39.1K

$2.02 ฿67.8

-24.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ₫25.6K

$1.41 ฿47.34

-29.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₫19.8K

$1.39 ฿46.79

-44.60%

Eggs

$1.46 ₫37.7K

$2.37 ฿79.6

-38.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.26 ₫316.0K

$16.52 ฿555

-25.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 ₫92.0K

$2.67 ฿89.8

33.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.45 ₫243.4K

$9.02 ฿303

4.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 ₫79.4K

$2.40 ฿80.6

28.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ₫25.3K

$1.04 ฿35.01

-5.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ₫34.7K

$1.66 ฿55.8

-18.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₫28.9K

$1.56 ฿52.4

-28.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ₫22.9K

$1.24 ฿41.61

-28.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$1.09 ฿36.53

5.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ₫14.1K

$0.76 ฿25.61

-27.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫13.8K

$0.51 ฿17.29

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.37 ₫35.3K

$4.12 ฿139

-66.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.68 ₫275.1K

$17.93 ฿603

-40.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₫23.7K

$1.62 ฿54.6

-43.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₫41.1K

$2.82 ฿94.9

-43.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₫8,354

$0.93 ฿31.42

-65.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.91 ₫203.8K

$52.9 ฿1,778

-85.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 ₫25.0K

$1.18 ฿39.56

-17.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₫14.7K

$0.17 ฿5.76

235.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 ₫59.2K

$1.81 ฿60.9

27.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 ₫25.0K

$1.47 ฿49.51

-34.01%

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

$30.4K ₫783.0M

$21.0K ฿706.4K

44.65%

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

$29.7K ₫765.7M

$26.5K ฿891.4K

12.10%

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

$84.7 ₫2.2M

$62.6 ฿2,103

35.41%

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

$5.13 ₫132.1K

$11.60 ฿390

-55.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.93 ₫230.0K

$20.30 ฿683

-56.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.72 ₫533.7K

$37.88 ฿1,274

-45.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.21 ₫211.4K

$3.70 ฿124

121.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.77 ₫122.8K

$6.51 ฿219

-26.73%

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

$338 ₫8.7M

$727 ฿24.4K

-53.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.6K ₫736.6M

$16.6K ฿557.2K

72.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.08 ₫1.2M

$53.5 ฿1,800

-15.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.66 ₫738.3K

$24.80 ฿834

15.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$90.4 ฿3,039

-7.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 ₫1.9M

$72.0 ฿2,420

1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ₫12.4M

$481 ฿16.2K

-0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₫6.9M

$310 ฿10.4K

-13.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 ₫15.2M

$1,058 ฿35.6K

-44.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 ₫15.1M

$659 ฿22.1K

-10.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,343 ₫60.4M

$2,418 ฿81.3K

-3.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,344 ₫34.6M

$1,609 ฿54.1K

-16.47%

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 Cam Pha: 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

Cam Pha

$269 34.9%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 15.3% $41

Groceries & Markets

Cam Pha

$192 24.9%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 23.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Cam Pha

$104 13.4%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 4.6% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cam Pha

$99 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 4.4% $4.3

Eating Out

Cam Pha

$64 8.3%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 19.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Cam Pha

$30 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 68.3% $21

Getting Around

Cam Pha

$13 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 351% $46

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $23 in Cam Pha vs $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $237, with Cam Pha cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Cam Pha

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:35 10:35 PM

Same time as Cam Pha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

182,137

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

Cam Pha Chiang Mai 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cam Pha
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

Cam Pha vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cam Pha wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cam Pha the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,156 in Cam Pha 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: $481 in Cam Pha versus $481 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cam Pha runs roughly 85% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $338 in Cam Pha versus $727 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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