Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cam Ranh

For one person, living is cheaper in Cam Ranh: $740 a month against $936 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Cam Ranh
Learn more

Cam Ranh Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Cam Ranh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Cam Ranh

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 Cam Ranh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $740 in Cam Ranh.

Chiang Mai $936
Cam Ranh $740

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,196 in Cam Ranh.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Cam Ranh $1,196

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,653 in Cam Ranh.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Cam Ranh $1,653

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 26% more expensive than in Cam Ranh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Cam Ranh 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$2.62 ₫67.8K

-14.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$23.30 ₫602.3K

-18.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.49 ₫116.0K

23.61%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$1.66 ₫42.9K

0.60%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.37 ₫9,448

72.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.21 ₫5,404

47.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$0.64 ₫16.7K

268.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$1.22 ₫31.5K

200.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.49 ₫38.4K

30.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.45 ₫11.6K

220.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.04 ₫26.8K

27.88%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.39 ₫35.9K

64.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$12.00 ₫310.1K

37.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$3.03 ₫78.2K

-8.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.28 ₫291.5K

-17.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$1.92 ₫49.6K

22.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$0.79 ₫20.4K

22.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.08 ₫27.8K

48.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.23 ₫31.8K

21.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$0.76 ₫19.7K

68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$0.69 ₫17.8K

59.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.79 ₫20.5K

-10.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.38 ₫9,848

28.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.50 ₫38.7K

176.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$11.56 ₫298.8K

51.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$0.61 ₫15.9K

163.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$1.86 ₫48.1K

49.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.35 ₫8,951

148.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$6.42 ₫165.9K

742.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$0.56 ₫14.5K

107.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.60 ₫15.4K

-11.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$2.58 ₫66.7K

-6.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$0.87 ₫22.5K

66.67%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$31.3K ₫810.1M

-32.80%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$28.0K ₫722.8M

-3.64%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$77.6 ₫2.0M

-19.88%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$6.65 ₫171.9K

83.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$9.61 ₫248.4K

109.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$23.51 ₫607.7K

58.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$7.55 ₫195.3K

-50.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$1.98 ₫51.2K

227.78%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$215 ₫5.6M

241.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$3,885 ₫100.4M

280.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$40.65 ₫1.1M

31.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$26.17 ₫676.6K

-5.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$49.97 ₫1.3M

83.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$79.3 ₫2.1M

-9.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$412 ₫10.6M

17.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$277 ₫7.2M

11.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$807 ₫20.9M

24.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$617 ₫15.9M

2.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$2,268 ₫58.6M

4.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,226 ₫31.7M

29.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.28

-32.73%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cam Ranh: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Cam Ranh

$277 37.4% 10.5% $32

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Cam Ranh

$180 24.3% 23.2% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Cam Ranh

$88 11.9% 18.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Cam Ranh

$94 12.7% 0.6% $0.6

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Cam Ranh

$62 8.4% 19.7% $15

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Cam Ranh

$11 1.5% 81.5% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cam Ranh

$27 3.7% 45.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $412 in Cam Ranh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $23 in Cam Ranh. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $180, with Cam Ranh cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇻🇳 Cam Ranh

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

220,630

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 25,852 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,849 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Cam Ranh 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Cam Ranh

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 Cam Ranh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cam Ranh wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cam Ranh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $1,110 in Cam Ranh 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: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $412 in Cam Ranh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $740 in Cam Ranh – Cam Ranh is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cam Ranh runs roughly 88% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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, Chiang Mai and Cam Ranh are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.