Cost of Living Comparison Between Chaiyaphum and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Chaiyaphum and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Chaiyaphum versus $920 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Chaiyaphum versus $1,408 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,258 in Chaiyaphum versus $1,895 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Chaiyaphum is roughly 2% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chaiyaphum 32% lower, Chiang Mai 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.20 ฿39.25

$2.11 ฿69.1

-43.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.42 ฿1,195

$19.75 ฿648

84.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ฿246

$5.85 ฿192

28.21%

Cappuccino

$1.18 ฿38.60

$1.76 ฿57.8

-32.95%

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

$0.50 ฿16.50

$0.74 ฿24.37

-32.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.33 ฿10.90

6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 ฿88.1

$2.47 ฿81.0

8.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 ฿150

$3.88 ฿127

18.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ฿62.5

$1.90 ฿62.4

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ฿51.8

$1.67 ฿54.7

-5.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.68

$1.35 ฿44.24

9.63%

Eggs

$1.59 ฿52.0

$2.14 ฿70.2

-25.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.89 ฿587

$15.89 ฿521

12.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 ฿118

$2.83 ฿92.9

27.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 ฿472

$10.53 ฿345

36.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 ฿135

$2.38 ฿78.2

72.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 ฿20.77

$1.07 ฿35.01

-41.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.52 ฿49.79

80.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 ฿65.5

$1.50 ฿49.30

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.5

$1.28 ฿41.96

34.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$1.10 ฿36.17

47.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ฿42.78

$0.69 ฿22.54

88.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.25

$0.49 ฿16.18

-36.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 ฿150

$4.27 ฿140

7.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.59 ฿544

$16.78 ฿550

-1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 ฿60.6

$1.66 ฿54.4

11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 ฿108

$2.81 ฿92.3

17.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.12

$0.90 ฿29.44

-1.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 ฿35.66

$1.20 ฿39.24

-9.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 ฿40.71

$0.54 ฿17.78

129.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 ฿194

$2.37 ฿77.9

148.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ฿34.87

$1.43 ฿46.88

-25.87%

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

$31.7K ฿1.0M

$21.1K ฿691.5K

50.54%

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

$27.5K ฿902.2K

$27.1K ฿890.2K

1.35%

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

$45.05 ฿1,478

$64.7 ฿2,124

-30.41%

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

$11.39 ฿374

$13.19 ฿433

-13.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.20 ฿400

$19.44 ฿638

-37.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 ฿1,660

$39.45 ฿1,294

28.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.16 ฿465

$3.77 ฿124

275.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 ฿247

$6.62 ฿217

13.60%

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

$560 ฿18.4K

$805 ฿26.4K

-30.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿545.9K

$15.1K ฿496.1K

10.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 ฿2,489

$54.8 ฿1,796

38.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.88 ฿1,440

$25.43 ฿834

72.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 ฿3,254

$91.9 ฿3,015

7.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ฿3,831

$74.7 ฿2,449

56.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.2K

$467 ฿15.3K

-0.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,467

$282 ฿9,251

2.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 ฿40.7K

$891 ฿29.2K

39.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 ฿22.9K

$521 ฿17.1K

33.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,934 ฿63.5K

$1,985 ฿65.1K

-2.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,616 ฿53.0K

$1,462 ฿48.0K

10.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$459 ฿15.1K

$592 ฿19.4K

-22.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

5.57

-3.41%

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

Last update for Chaiyaphum: August 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Chaiyaphum and $467 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Chaiyaphum vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $237 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Chiang Mai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $464 in Chaiyaphum versus $467 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $560 in Chaiyaphum versus $805 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 $20.00 versus $36.00 in Chaiyaphum. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $920 in Chiang Mai versus $934 in Chaiyaphum, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Chaiyaphum. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chaiyaphum, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chaiyaphum 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 2% less than in Chaiyaphum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.