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: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $741 in Cam Pha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,354 in Chiang Mai versus $1,145 in Cam Pha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Chiang Mai versus $1,549 in Cam Pha.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 15% more expensive than Cam Pha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Cam Pha 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$1.87 ₫49.2K

4.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$26.64 ₫698.9K

-29.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$4.31 ₫113.0K

83.76%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$1.78 ₫46.8K

7.30%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.45 ₫11.9K

86.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.27 ₫7,162

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$0.92 ₫24.0K

140.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$1.88 ₫49.3K

102.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.44 ₫37.7K

13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.91 ₫24.0K

78.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.91 ₫23.8K

29.67%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$1.56 ₫40.8K

28.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$8.91 ₫233.9K

78.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$3.88 ₫101.8K

-22.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

$9.70 ₫254.6K

11.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$3.37 ₫88.4K

-22.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$1.01 ₫26.5K

20.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$1.65 ₫43.4K

3.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$1.12 ₫29.3K

41.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$1.04 ₫27.2K

26.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$1.05 ₫27.7K

11.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.53 ₫13.9K

26.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.56 ₫14.7K

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$1.33 ₫34.9K

240.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$14.19 ₫372.3K

28.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$0.96 ₫25.2K

90.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.74 ₫45.6K

85.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.32 ₫8,272

178.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

$6.69 ₫175.6K

189.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$0.73 ₫19.2K

84.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.57 ₫15.0K

136.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$1.61 ₫42.2K

412.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$0.85 ₫22.2K

49.41%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$38.5K ₫1.0B

-45.07%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$32.3K ₫847.7M

-30.41%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$78.2 ₫2.1M

-10.31%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$5.19 ₫136.2K

165.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$8.54 ₫224.0K

106.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$21.15 ₫554.9K

96.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$7.73 ₫202.9K

-14.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$3.88 ₫101.8K

48.97%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$261 ₫6.8M

17.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$11.6K ₫304.4M

27.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$44.87 ₫1.2M

21.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$23.32 ₫611.9K

12.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$87.3 ₫2.3M

-3.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$73.4 ₫1.9M

-5.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$355 ₫9.3M

19.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$252 ₫6.6M

-5.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$670 ₫17.6M

23.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$460 ₫12.1M

12.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$2,917 ₫76.5M

-29.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$1,298 ₫34.1M

17.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

-45.05%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cam Pha: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Chiang Mai and $355 in Cam Pha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $27.00 in Cam Pha. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $194, 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 15% 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 $1,278 in Chiang Mai and $1,111 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: $424 in Chiang Mai versus $355 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 190% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Chiang Mai versus $261 in Cam Pha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Cam Pha gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cam Pha delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $741 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 15% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.