Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Chaiyaphum

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Chaiyaphum: $925 and $907 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Chaiyaphum
Learn more

Chaiyaphum Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Chaiyaphum

🇹🇭 Thailand

$907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Chaiyaphum

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $907 in Chaiyaphum.

Chiang Mai $925
Chaiyaphum $907

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $1,524 in Chaiyaphum.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Chaiyaphum $1,524

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $2,142 in Chaiyaphum.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Chaiyaphum $2,142

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 2% more expensive than in Chaiyaphum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$1.22 ฿40.76

87.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$35.18 ฿1,176

-44.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$6.34 ฿212

-11.51%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.18 ฿39.33

40.68%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.47 ฿15.65

48.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.34 ฿11.33

-8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.75 ฿92.1

-12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$4.55 ฿152

-18.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.84 ฿61.5

5.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.47 ฿49.05

-4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.41 ฿47.06

-7.09%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.52 ฿50.9

43.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$17.24 ฿576

-3.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.59 ฿120

-23.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$13.20 ฿441

-30.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$3.71 ฿124

-35.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.58 ฿19.27

77.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.73 ฿91.3

-40.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.95 ฿65.3

-23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.68 ฿56.2

-23.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.57 ฿52.4

-29.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.23 ฿41.09

-41.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.31 ฿10.44

70.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.85 ฿162

-11.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$15.12 ฿505

18.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.83 ฿61.1

-13.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$3.34 ฿112

-14.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.96 ฿32.19

-10.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.02 ฿34.23

18.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.22 ฿40.70

-53.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$6.11 ฿204

-61.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.08 ฿36.01

33.33%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.8K ฿1.0M

-32.66%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$27.1K ฿906.9K

-1.24%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$43.13 ฿1,442

44.52%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$11.24 ฿376

7.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$11.69 ฿391

70.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$42.56 ฿1,422

-12.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$14.12 ฿472

-73.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$7.66 ฿256

-15.14%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$565 ฿18.9K

40.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$16.5K ฿551.3K

-10.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$71.1 ฿2,377

-24.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$42.71 ฿1,427

-42.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$97.8 ฿3,267

-7.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$105 ฿3,498

-32.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$438 ฿14.6K

3.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$301 ฿10.1K

-1.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,076 ฿35.9K

-15.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$700 ฿23.4K

-20.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,795 ฿60.0K

7.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,513 ฿50.5K

-4.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$451 ฿15.1K

31.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chaiyaphum: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Chaiyaphum

$301 33.2% 1.1% $3.2

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Chaiyaphum

$260 28.6% 10.3% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Chaiyaphum

$142 15.7% 31.6% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Chaiyaphum

$66 7.3% 30% $28

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Chaiyaphum

$69 7.6% 12.2% $9.6

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Chaiyaphum

$11 * 1.2% 82% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Chaiyaphum

$58 6.4% 15.6% $7.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $438 in Chaiyaphum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $35.00 in Chaiyaphum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $260 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Chaiyaphum

🕒 Local time

19:43 7:43 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

42,436

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Chaiyaphum 460 km

From you

Chiang Mai
Chaiyaphum

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 Chaiyaphum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chaiyaphum is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and utilities. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% 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: $455 in Chiang Mai versus $438 in Chaiyaphum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Chiang Mai versus $565 in Chaiyaphum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chaiyaphum – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $907 in Chaiyaphum versus $925 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chaiyaphum but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Chaiyaphum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chaiyaphum is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, 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 Chaiyaphum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.