Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Chaiyaphum Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Chaiyaphum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $920 in Chiang Mai versus $934 in Chaiyaphum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,408 in Chiang Mai versus $1,596 in Chaiyaphum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,895 in Chiang Mai versus $2,258 in Chaiyaphum.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 1% less than in Chaiyaphum, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 33% lower, Chaiyaphum 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 ฿69.1

$1.20 ฿39.25

75.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.75 ฿648

$36.42 ฿1,195

-45.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 ฿192

$7.50 ฿246

-22.00%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ฿57.8

$1.18 ฿38.60

49.15%

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

$0.74 ฿24.37

$0.50 ฿16.50

48.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿10.90

$0.35 ฿11.60

-5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 ฿81.0

$2.68 ฿88.1

-7.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ฿127

$4.58 ฿150

-15.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ฿62.4

$1.90 ฿62.5

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ฿54.7

$1.58 ฿51.8

5.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿44.24

$1.48 ฿48.68

-8.78%

Eggs

$2.14 ฿70.2

$1.59 ฿52.0

34.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿521

$17.89 ฿587

-11.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.83 ฿92.9

$3.60 ฿118

-21.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 ฿345

$14.39 ฿472

-26.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ฿78.2

$4.10 ฿135

-41.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.01

$0.63 ฿20.77

69.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.79

$2.75 ฿90.1

-44.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿49.30

$2.00 ฿65.5

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿41.96

$1.72 ฿56.5

-25.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.17

$1.62 ฿53.1

-32.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ฿22.54

$1.30 ฿42.78

-46.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.18

$0.31 ฿10.25

58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.57 ฿150

-6.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.78 ฿550

$16.59 ฿544

1.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$1.85 ฿60.6

-10.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ฿92.3

$3.29 ฿108

-14.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.44

$0.89 ฿29.12

1.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 ฿39.24

$1.09 ฿35.66

10.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ฿17.78

$1.24 ฿40.71

-56.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿77.9

$5.90 ฿194

-59.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.88

$1.06 ฿34.87

34.91%

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

$21.1K ฿691.5K

$31.7K ฿1.0M

-33.57%

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

$27.1K ฿890.2K

$27.5K ฿902.2K

-1.33%

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

$64.7 ฿2,124

$45.05 ฿1,478

43.71%

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

$13.19 ฿433

$11.39 ฿374

15.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.44 ฿638

$12.20 ฿400

59.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 ฿1,294

$50.6 ฿1,660

-22.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿124

$14.16 ฿465

-73.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ฿217

$7.52 ฿247

-11.97%

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

$805 ฿26.4K

$560 ฿18.4K

43.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿496.1K

$16.6K ฿545.9K

-9.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,796

$75.9 ฿2,489

-27.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.43 ฿834

$43.88 ฿1,440

-42.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 ฿3,015

$99.2 ฿3,254

-7.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 ฿2,449

$117 ฿3,831

-36.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 ฿15.3K

$464 ฿15.2K

0.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 ฿9,251

$289 ฿9,467

-2.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.2K

$1,239 ฿40.7K

-28.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.1K

$697 ฿22.9K

-25.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,985 ฿65.1K

$1,934 ฿63.5K

2.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,462 ฿48.0K

$1,616 ฿53.0K

-9.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.4K

$459 ฿15.1K

29.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.38

3.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 17, 2026

Last update for Chaiyaphum: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $467 in Chiang Mai and $464 in Chaiyaphum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $36.00 in Chaiyaphum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $274 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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 Chaiyaphum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Chiang Mai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $467 in Chiang Mai versus $464 in Chaiyaphum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $805 in Chiang Mai versus $560 in Chaiyaphum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $36.00 in Chaiyaphum. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $920 in Chiang Mai versus $934 in Chaiyaphum, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Chaiyaphum. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chaiyaphum, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Chaiyaphum 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Chaiyaphum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.