Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ca Mau

For one person, living is cheaper in Ca Mau: $733 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Ca Mau
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Ca Mau Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Ca Mau

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ca Mau

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 Ca Mau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $733 in Ca Mau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Ca Mau $733

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,201 in Ca Mau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Ca Mau $1,201

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,669 in Ca Mau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Ca Mau $1,669

Chiang Mai costs about 28% more than Ca Mau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Ca Mau are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ca Mau 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$2.23 ₫57.3K

-4.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$18.03 ₫464.5K

3.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$3.72 ₫95.7K

50.54%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.50 ₫38.6K

10.67%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$0.52 ₫13.3K

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.34 ₫8,785

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$0.93 ₫23.9K

149.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$1.36 ₫35.0K

169.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.56 ₫40.1K

29.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$0.94 ₫24.2K

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$0.92 ₫23.6K

51.09%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$1.43 ₫36.9K

65.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$10.59 ₫272.8K

56.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$3.35 ₫86.3K

-20.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$9.62 ₫247.7K

-6.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$3.09 ₫79.6K

-22.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$1.06 ₫27.3K

-1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.40 ₫36.0K

18.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.17 ₫30.2K

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$0.98 ₫25.2K

26.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$1.34 ₫34.5K

-18.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$0.62 ₫16.1K

22.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.56 ₫14.6K

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$1.53 ₫39.4K

169.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$8.68 ₫223.6K

106.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$0.89 ₫22.9K

82.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$1.65 ₫42.6K

70.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$0.30 ₫7,818

210.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$7.64 ₫196.9K

592.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$0.79 ₫20.2K

49.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.54 ₫13.8K

-68.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.45 ₫63.1K

-26.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$0.94 ₫24.2K

56.38%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$32.3K ₫833.3M

-35.04%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$24.4K ₫628.0M

8.77%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$77.9 ₫2.0M

-19.66%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$5.14 ₫132.5K

125.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$7.54 ₫194.1K

169.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$20.34 ₫524.0K

86.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$7.88 ₫202.9K

-53.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$2.87 ₫73.9K

126.83%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$372 ₫9.6M

95.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$14.7K ₫379.6M

12.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$46.95 ₫1.2M

14.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$25.04 ₫645.0K

-0.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$89.0 ₫2.3M

1.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$67.7 ₫1.7M

6.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$416 ₫10.7M

15.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$258 ₫6.7M

19.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$667 ₫17.2M

58.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$626 ₫16.1M

5.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$2,345 ₫60.4M

3.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$1,362 ₫35.1M

18.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

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 1, 2026

Last update for Ca Mau: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Ca Mau

$258 35.3% 16.6% $52

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Ca Mau

$185 25.2% 21.8% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Ca Mau

$103 14% 5% $5.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ca Mau

$91 12.4% 4.2% $3.9

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Ca Mau

$58 7.9% 24.6% $19

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Ca Mau

$12 1.7% 79% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Ca Mau

$26 3.6% 48.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $416 in Ca Mau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $18 in Ca Mau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $185 – making Ca Mau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇻🇳 Ca Mau

🕒 Local time

23:16 11:16 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

226,372

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.46 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,880 VND (100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ca Mau 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ca Mau

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 Ca Mau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,100 in Ca Mau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ca Mau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $416 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Public transport costs about 86% less in Ca Mau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $372 in Ca Mau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Ca Mau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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

For expats, Ca Mau is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 22% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.