Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changwon and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,529 in Changwon, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Changwon
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Changwon Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Changwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,529

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,529 in Changwon versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Changwon $1,529
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Changwon versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Changwon $2,381
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,233 in Changwon versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Changwon $3,233
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Changwon is roughly 63% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Changwon is 12% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.34 ₩9,862

$2.24 ฿75.7

227.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.81 ₩37.3K

$19.00 ฿642

46.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ₩7,167

$5.55 ฿188

-3.78%

Cappuccino

$3.78 ₩5,079

$1.67 ฿56.6

126.35%

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

$1.87 ₩2,513

$0.64 ฿21.56

192.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₩1,359

$0.31 ฿10.32

225.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 ₩4,050

$2.36 ฿79.6

27.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 ₩5,870

$3.66 ฿124

19.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 ₩3,161

$1.95 ฿65.8

20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 ₩4,357

$1.44 ฿48.51

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 ₩4,303

$1.33 ฿45.07

140.60%

Eggs

$2.63 ₩3,538

$2.28 ฿77.1

15.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 ₩14.9K

$16.45 ฿556

-32.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₩14.1K

$2.78 ฿94.0

278.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.38 ₩34.1K

$9.31 ฿314

172.61%

Apples (1kg)

$11.39 ₩15.3K

$2.35 ฿79.5

384.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.73 ₩5,009

$0.97 ฿32.82

284.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.96 ₩10.7K

$1.60 ฿53.9

397.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 ₩7,874

$1.50 ฿50.7

290.67%

Potato (1kg)

$5.95 ₩7,991

$1.28 ฿43.15

364.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,535

$1.10 ฿37.22

207.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 ₩3,831

$0.71 ฿23.84

301.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₩1,778

$0.49 ฿16.38

169.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,520

$4.14 ฿140

-18.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ₩25.4K

$17.52 ฿592

7.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 ₩3,317

$1.61 ฿54.5

53.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 ₩4,539

$2.78 ฿94.0

21.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 ₩1,558

$0.87 ฿29.33

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 ₩4,008

$1.16 ฿39.08

156.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,052

$0.53 ฿17.82

47.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.79 ₩22.5K

$2.42 ฿81.8

593.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,830

$1.45 ฿48.93

-6.21%

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

$39.0K ₩52.4M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

85.28%

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

$33.9K ₩45.6M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

25.94%

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

$200 ₩268.3K

$62.2 ฿2,100

221.43%

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

$36.15 ₩48.5K

$12.17 ฿411

197.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.46 ₩36.9K

$20.12 ฿680

36.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₩71.6K

$37.31 ฿1,260

42.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.13 ₩19.0K

$3.77 ฿127

274.80%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 ₩15.2K

$6.49 ฿219

73.96%

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

$646 ₩867.1K

$736 ฿24.9K

-12.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K ₩28.8M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

45.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩140.3K

$53.4 ฿1,802

95.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 ₩88.0K

$24.64 ฿832

165.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₩124.0K

$91.5 ฿3,089

0.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩172.6K

$71.9 ฿2,429

78.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ₩649.8K

$482 ฿16.3K

0.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 ₩478.0K

$309 ฿10.4K

15.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 ₩1.6M

$1,006 ฿34.0K

15.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 ₩1.0M

$633 ฿21.4K

19.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,009 ₩9.4M

$2,363 ฿79.8K

196.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,457 ₩7.3M

$1,589 ฿53.7K

243.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ₩2.3M

$590 ฿19.9K

190.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.57

-24.24%

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

Last update for Changwon: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Changwon

$491 32.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 52.2% $256

Accommodation & Living

Changwon

$356 23.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 13.2% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changwon

$263 17.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 64.1% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Changwon

$176 11.5%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 38.2% $67

Eating Out

Changwon

$156 10.2%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 50.1% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Changwon

$76 5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 33.8% $26

Getting Around

Changwon

$12 * 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 432% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $484 in Changwon and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changwon pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $28 in Changwon vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $491 vs $234 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Changwon

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:08 6:08 AM

04:08 4:08 AM

2 h behind Changwon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,055,839

127,240

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Changwon Chiang Mai 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Changwon
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,529 in Changwon and $936 in Chiang Mai, so Chiang Mai is about 39% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Changwon is about 2.9 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $484 in Changwon versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 109% higher in Changwon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,529 per month in Changwon versus $936 in Chiang Mai – Chiang Mai is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Changwon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.