Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cam Pha Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cam Pha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $796 in Cam Pha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $1,257 in Cam Pha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,719 in Cam Pha.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 17% more expensive than in Cam Pha, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Cam Pha 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.3

$2.03 ₫52.8K

2.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿653

$21.45 ₫558.1K

-8.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$4.24 ₫110.4K

33.73%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.1

$1.84 ₫47.8K

-1.63%

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

$0.77 ฿25.58

$0.49 ₫12.8K

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.49

$0.30 ₫7,851

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.12 ₫29.2K

97.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

$1.97 ₫51.2K

92.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.2

$1.55 ₫40.2K

32.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.4

$0.96 ₫25.0K

57.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.57

$0.81 ₫21.1K

72.84%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.2

$1.42 ₫36.9K

59.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿539

$10.35 ₫269.4K

56.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.79 ₫98.6K

-23.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$9.62 ₫250.2K

-2.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.2

$3.12 ₫81.1K

-14.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.28

$1.11 ₫28.8K

-1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.8

$1.38 ₫36.0K

17.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.61

$1.10 ₫28.7K

32.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.54

$0.97 ₫25.3K

31.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.21

$1.08 ₫28.2K

-1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.88

$0.59 ₫15.5K

22.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.51

$0.51 ₫13.3K

3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$1.37 ₫35.7K

208.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿609

$12.32 ₫320.6K

48.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.3

$0.89 ₫23.2K

83.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.67 ₫43.4K

73.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.24

$0.35 ₫8,979

151.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,790

$6.62 ₫172.1K

712.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.04

$0.81 ₫21.0K

44.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.25

$0.56 ₫14.7K

3.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.4

$2.25 ₫58.6K

6.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.28

$0.84 ₫21.7K

72.62%

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

$21.0K ฿699.5K

$30.7K ₫797.9M

-31.48%

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

$26.4K ฿879.7K

$30.4K ₫791.7M

-13.15%

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

$63.7 ฿2,119

$83.9 ₫2.2M

-24.13%

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

$12.89 ฿429

$4.95 ₫128.7K

160.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿683

$9.01 ₫234.4K

127.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,299

$22.39 ₫582.4K

74.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

$7.63 ₫198.6K

-48.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿219

$4.14 ₫107.8K

58.94%

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

$784 ฿26.1K

$160 ₫4.2M

390.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿488.4K

$27.7K ₫719.5M

-46.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,835

$50.2 ₫1.3M

9.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿824

$26.43 ₫687.8K

-6.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,133

$82.9 ₫2.2M

13.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,462

$84.3 ₫2.2M

-12.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

$416 ₫10.8M

17.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,594

$280 ₫7.3M

2.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.7K

$762 ₫19.8M

17.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

$607 ₫15.8M

-14.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.7K

$2,821 ₫73.4M

-30.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.1K

$1,316 ₫34.2M

9.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.45

-34.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Cam Pha: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $416 in Cam Pha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $21.00 in Cam Pha. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $192, with Cam Pha cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cam Pha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cam Pha wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cam Pha the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,398 in Chiang Mai and $1,194 in Cam Pha 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $416 in Cam Pha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cam Pha runs roughly 712% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $784 in Chiang Mai versus $160 in Cam Pha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $796 in Cam Pha versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cam Pha but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Cam Pha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cam Pha delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $796 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cam Pha hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Cam Pha 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 Cam Pha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.