Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bac Ninh

For one person, living is cheaper in Bac Ninh: $457 a month against $960 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Bac Ninh
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Bac Ninh Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$960

/mo nomad

Bac Ninh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$457

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Bac Ninh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Bac Ninh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $960 per month in Chiang Mai vs $457 in Bac Ninh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $960
Bac Ninh $457

A couple spends around $1,499 per month in Chiang Mai vs $743 in Bac Ninh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,499
Bac Ninh $743

A family of three spends $2,037 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,028 in Bac Ninh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $2,037
Bac Ninh $1,028

Chiang Mai costs about 110% more than Bac Ninh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Bac Ninh are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 28% lower, Bac Ninh 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.12 ฿71.2

$1.15 ₫29.5K

84.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.74 ฿630

$23.01 ₫589.0K

-18.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 ฿181

$2.60 ₫66.7K

107.31%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.15 ₫29.6K

51.30%

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

$0.71 ฿23.98

$0.26 ₫6,595

173.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.12

$0.22 ₫5,534

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.72 ₫18.4K

230.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿129

$1.00 ₫25.7K

283.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ฿67.0

$1.57 ₫40.1K

26.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿48.13

$1.01 ₫25.9K

41.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.54

$0.78 ₫19.9K

74.36%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿77.6

$1.49 ₫38.2K

55.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿559

$11.72 ₫299.9K

42.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$3.71 ₫95.1K

-24.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.38 ฿315

$9.70 ₫248.2K

-3.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 ฿83.5

$3.06 ₫78.3K

-18.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.47

$1.01 ₫25.9K

4.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.31 ₫33.7K

29.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.8

$1.08 ₫27.6K

50.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿44.46

$0.91 ₫23.3K

45.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.21

$1.19 ₫30.5K

-6.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ฿24.51

$0.54 ₫13.9K

35.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.62

$0.52 ₫13.4K

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$1.40 ₫36.0K

212.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿592

$11.04 ₫282.5K

59.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿53.2

$0.86 ₫22.0K

83.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.8

$1.62 ₫41.4K

72.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.90

$0.41 ₫10.4K

109.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 ฿1,828

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.98

$0.90 ₫23.1K

35.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ฿7.31

$0.61 ₫15.5K

-63.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 ฿58.9

$2.32 ₫59.5K

-24.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.59

$0.90 ₫23.1K

61.11%

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

$21.0K ฿705.6K

$30.8K ₫787.2M

-31.72%

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

$26.7K ฿897.5K

$29.5K ₫754.8M

-9.42%

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

$63.5 ฿2,133

$84.7 ₫2.2M

-25.06%

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

$11.87 ฿399

$5.12 ₫131.0K

131.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.59 ฿692

$6.95 ₫177.8K

196.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.33 ฿1,456

$11.93 ₫305.3K

263.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.68 ฿157

$7.98 ₫204.2K

-41.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ฿222

$3.21 ₫82.0K

106.23%

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

$743 ฿25.0K

$716 ₫18.3M

3.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.8K

$12.8K ₫328.6M

29.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 ฿1,801

$46.36 ₫1.2M

15.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ฿848

$29.33 ₫750.7K

-13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 ฿3,129

$83.8 ₫2.1M

11.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ฿2,423

$74.8 ₫1.9M

-3.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$488 ฿16.4K

$692 ₫17.7M

-29.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ฿10.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 ฿34.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 ฿22.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,407 ฿80.9K

$1,691 ₫43.3M

42.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,647 ฿55.3K

$792 ₫20.3M

108.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.8K

$384 ₫9.8M

53.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.17

-31.82%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 8, 2026

Last update for Bac Ninh: November 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$320 33.4%

Bac Ninh

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$239 24.9%

Bac Ninh

$193 42.2% 19.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.5%

Bac Ninh

$105 23.1% 4% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$96 10%

Bac Ninh

$97 21.2% 0.9% $0.8

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.1%

Bac Ninh

$38 8.4% 50.6% $39

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$60 6.3%

Bac Ninh

$5.6 * 1.2% 90.7% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$57 5.9%

Bac Ninh

$18 4% 67.6% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $488 in Chiang Mai versus $692 in Bac Ninh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 54% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $23 in Bac Ninh. Groceries tell a different story – $239 in Chiang Mai vs $193 in Bac Ninh – so Bac Ninh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇻🇳 Bac Ninh

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

288,766

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.91 USD

100,000 VND = 3.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 11, 2026: 1 USD = 33.6 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 11, 2026: 1 USD = 25,594 VND (100,000 VND = 3.91 USD). 1 EUR = 28,593 VND (100,000 VND = 3.5 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bac Ninh 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bac Ninh

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

Chiang Mai vs Bac Ninh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 110% more than Bac Ninh, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,439 per month in Chiang Mai and $686 in Bac Ninh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $488 there versus $692 in Bac Ninh.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $23 in Bac Ninh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Bac Ninh, where all-in costs run around $457, than in Chiang Mai at $960. In Bac Ninh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $457 in Bac Ninh to $960 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Bac Ninh. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.