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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,528 in Cham versus $847 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,360 in Cham versus $1,332 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,192 in Cham versus $1,816 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Cham is roughly 316% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cham is 164% above, Chiang Mai is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.23

$2.03 ฿68.4

1420.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 121

$18.71 ฿630

687.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.66 CHF 16.08

$7.84 ฿264

150.77%

Cappuccino

$6.74 CHF 5.51

$1.93 ฿64.9

249.22%

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

$5.51 CHF 4.51

$0.83 ฿28.00

563.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 CHF 4.07

$0.35 ฿11.80

1322.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.05 CHF 8.22

$2.22 ฿74.8

352.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 CHF 6.28

$3.79 ฿128

102.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.83

$1.65 ฿55.4

35.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 CHF 2.72

$1.55 ฿52.3

114.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.39

$1.18 ฿39.79

251.69%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.91

$2.01 ฿67.9

259.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.77 CHF 23.52

$16.16 ฿544

78.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.10 CHF 27.07

$3.03 ฿102

992.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.54 CHF 36.42

$10.84 ฿365

310.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.29

$2.68 ฿90.3

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 CHF 2.22

$1.22 ฿41.14

122.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.44

$1.63 ฿54.8

82.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 CHF 4.13

$1.53 ฿51.5

230.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CHF 2.34

$1.34 ฿45.10

114.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.88

$1.21 ฿40.86

90.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CHF 2.10

$0.70 ฿23.63

267.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CHF 1.24

$0.53 ฿17.70

186.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 9.16

$4.69 ฿158

138.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.01 CHF 10.64

$17.71 ฿597

-26.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CHF 1.94

$1.85 ฿62.2

28.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CHF 2.59

$3.21 ฿108

-1.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 CHF 3.17

$0.89 ฿30.01

335.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 CHF 81.0

$18.76 ฿632

428.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 CHF 6.35

$1.41 ฿47.40

451.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.15 CHF 3.40

$1.29 ฿43.52

221.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 70.6

$7.79 ฿262

1008.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$1.29 ฿43.59

74.42%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

$21.8K ฿733.4K

88.93%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$21.7K ฿730.7K

83.86%

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

$255 CHF 209

$70.0 ฿2,358

264.96%

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

$35.13 CHF 28.73

$14.19 ฿478

147.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 48.16

$17.42 ฿587

238.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.2 CHF 70.5

$41.64 ฿1,403

107.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.89 ฿232

Cinema Ticket

$22.76 CHF 18.61

$5.78 ฿195

293.77%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,133

$300 ฿10.1K

770.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

$14.5K ฿489.2K

134.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 108

$55.4 ฿1,865

138.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.6 CHF 49.57

$26.31 ฿886

130.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 121

$84.8 ฿2,858

74.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 CHF 167

$70.5 ฿2,375

189.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 CHF 1,394

$425 ฿14.3K

300.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 CHF 1,201

$235 ฿7,919

524.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 CHF 2,310

$802 ฿27.0K

252.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 CHF 2,049

$516 ฿17.4K

385.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.8K

$1,926 ฿64.9K

776.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.1K CHF 11.5K

$1,451 ฿48.9K

869.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$586 ฿19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

-58.20%

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

Last update for Cham: July 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,705 in Cham and $425 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $147 in Cham vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $646 vs $242 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 316% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,293 in Cham and $1,271 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: $1,705 in Cham versus $425 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Cham versus $300 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 167% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $847 in Chiang Mai versus $3,528 in Cham, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cham. 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 Cham, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cham 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 316% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.