Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheongju and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,409 in Cheongju, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cheongju
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Cheongju Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cheongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,409

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,409 in Cheongju versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Cheongju $1,409
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,329 in Cheongju versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Cheongju $2,329
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Cheongju versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Cheongju $3,249
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Cheongju is roughly 51% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cheongju is 4% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.47 ₩9,975

$2.24 ฿75.6

233.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.95 ₩65.4K

$19.00 ฿641

157.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 ₩7,853

$5.55 ฿187

5.95%

Cappuccino

$3.66 ₩4,881

$1.67 ฿56.5

119.16%

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

$1.84 ₩2,461

$0.64 ฿21.54

187.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ₩1,864

$0.31 ฿10.31

351.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,878

$2.36 ฿79.5

54.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₩5,783

$3.66 ฿124

18.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₩3,009

$1.95 ฿65.7

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,345

$1.44 ฿48.46

125.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 ₩4,079

$1.33 ฿45.03

129.32%

Eggs

$2.73 ₩3,651

$2.28 ฿77.1

19.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 ₩14.9K

$16.45 ฿555

-32.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 ₩14.2K

$2.78 ฿93.9

283.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.55 ₩32.8K

$9.31 ฿314

163.69%

Apples (1kg)

$11.40 ₩15.2K

$2.35 ฿79.4

385.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,791

$0.97 ฿32.79

270.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.30 ₩11.1K

$1.60 ฿53.9

418.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 ₩7,810

$1.50 ฿50.6

290.00%

Potato (1kg)

$5.84 ₩7,797

$1.28 ฿43.11

356.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.43 ₩4,576

$1.10 ฿37.18

211.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,832

$0.71 ฿23.82

304.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,769

$0.49 ฿16.36

171.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ₩4,600

$4.14 ฿140

-16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.71 ₩25.0K

$17.52 ฿591

6.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₩3,284

$1.61 ฿54.5

52.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 ₩4,546

$2.78 ฿93.9

22.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,529

$0.87 ฿29.30

32.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ₩4,675

$1.16 ฿39.04

201.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ₩1,015

$0.53 ฿17.80

43.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.67 ₩22.3K

$2.42 ฿81.7

588.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,813

$1.45 ฿48.88

-6.21%

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

$39.0K ₩52.1M

$21.1K ฿710.5K

85.36%

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

$33.7K ₩45.0M

$26.9K ฿909.0K

25.22%

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

$205 ₩273.4K

$62.2 ฿2,098

229.40%

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

$24.30 ₩32.4K

$12.17 ฿411

99.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.72 ₩37.0K

$20.12 ฿679

37.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 ₩71.5K

$37.31 ฿1,259

43.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.97 ₩18.6K

$3.77 ฿127

270.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.81 ₩15.8K

$6.49 ฿219

81.97%

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

$651 ₩868.5K

$736 ฿24.8K

-11.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩29.1M

$14.8K ฿498.2K

47.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.84 ₩49.2K

$53.4 ฿1,801

-30.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 ₩87.2K

$24.64 ฿831

165.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ₩125.3K

$91.5 ฿3,087

2.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₩151.2K

$71.9 ฿2,427

57.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ₩457.1K

$482 ฿16.3K

-29.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 ₩367.6K

$309 ฿10.4K

-10.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 ₩1.6M

$1,006 ฿33.9K

18.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₩1.0M

$633 ฿21.4K

20.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,228 ₩9.7M

$2,363 ฿79.7K

205.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,619 ₩7.5M

$1,589 ฿53.6K

253.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,613 ₩3.5M

$590 ฿19.9K

343.12%

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 Cheongju: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cheongju

$488 34.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 52% $254

Accommodation & Living

Cheongju

$275 19.5%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 12.2% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheongju

$257 18.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 63.2% $162

Eating Out

Cheongju

$161 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 51.9% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Cheongju

$139 9.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 21.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Cheongju

$77 5.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 34.9% $27

Getting Around

Cheongju

$12 * 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 417% $49

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 $342 in Cheongju and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Cheongju vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 vs $234 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Cheongju

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

10:16 10:16 AM

2 h behind Cheongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

835,669

127,240

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cheongju Chiang Mai 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cheongju
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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Cheongju. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Cheongju is about 4.4 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: $342 in Cheongju versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $651 in Cheongju versus $736 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 $19 versus $49 in Cheongju. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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, Cheongju 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, Cheongju on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.