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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $950 in Chiang Mai versus $3,622 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,430 in Chiang Mai versus $5,410 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,909 in Chiang Mai versus $7,198 in Cham.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 74% less than in Cham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Cham is 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ฿69.3

$31.40 CHF 25.63

-93.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 ฿656

$126 CHF 103

-84.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 ฿191

$18.26 CHF 14.91

-68.29%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ฿60.4

$6.05 CHF 4.94

-69.75%

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

$0.78 ฿25.61

$5.68 CHF 4.63

-86.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.37

$4.79 CHF 3.91

-93.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ฿77.2

$8.40 CHF 6.86

-72.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ฿122

$6.82 CHF 5.57

-45.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ฿67.1

$2.22 CHF 1.81

-8.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ฿52.7

$4.05 CHF 3.30

-60.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.75

$3.83 CHF 3.13

-62.92%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿71.9

$7.36 CHF 6.01

-70.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 ฿526

$27.93 CHF 22.79

-43.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ฿102

$27.68 CHF 22.59

-88.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ฿326

$43.42 CHF 35.44

-77.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿86.8

$4.12 CHF 3.36

-36.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.19

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-51.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.8

$3.30 CHF 2.70

-50.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.6

$4.72 CHF 3.85

-67.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.13

$2.52 CHF 2.06

-50.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ฿37.37

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-50.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.38

$2.56 CHF 2.09

-71.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.48

$1.20 CHF 0.98

-58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ฿141

$11.20 CHF 9.14

-61.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 ฿594

$13.61 CHF 11.11

32.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿56.1

$2.87 CHF 2.34

-40.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿95.7

$3.20 CHF 2.62

-9.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿31.13

$5.00 CHF 4.08

-81.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,827

$152 CHF 124

-63.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.76

$5.61 CHF 4.58

-78.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.66

$3.47 CHF 2.83

-84.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ฿79.3

$61.9 CHF 50.5

-96.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.55

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-36.84%

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

$21.2K ฿700.2K

$40.6K CHF 33.2K

-47.86%

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

$27.3K ฿902.1K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-31.62%

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

$64.9 ฿2,145

$288 CHF 235

-77.44%

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

$13.35 ฿441

$32.30 CHF 26.36

-58.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.83 ฿688

$57.2 CHF 46.65

-63.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 ฿1,336

$92.4 CHF 75.4

-56.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

$42.34 CHF 34.56

-90.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿222

$25.03 CHF 20.43

-73.19%

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

$787 ฿26.0K

$1,818 CHF 1,484

-56.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿499.6K

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

-55.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,858

$148 CHF 121

-62.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 ฿824

$60.7 CHF 49.56

-58.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 ฿3,063

$167 CHF 136

-44.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ฿2,482

$261 CHF 213

-71.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.0K

$1,732 CHF 1,413

-72.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ฿9,491

$1,469 CHF 1,199

-80.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ฿30.1K

$2,875 CHF 2,346

-68.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ฿17.5K

$2,682 CHF 2,189

-80.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.4K

$17.9K CHF 14.6K

-88.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿47.9K

$13.6K CHF 11.1K

-89.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.07

169.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cham: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $484 in Chiang Mai and $1,732 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $126 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $616 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 Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 281% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,426 in Chiang Mai and $5,434 in Cham 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: $484 in Chiang Mai versus $1,732 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $787 in Chiang Mai versus $1,818 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 154% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $950 in Chiang Mai versus $3,622 in Cham, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cham. 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 Cham, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Cham 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 281% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.