Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Changwon

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,529 in Changwon, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
73

Cost of Living Index in Changwon
Learn more

Changwon Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Changwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $1,529 in Changwon.

Chiang Mai $936
Changwon $1,529

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $2,381 in Changwon.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Changwon $2,381

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $3,233 in Changwon.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Changwon $3,233

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 39% less than in Changwon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Changwon is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$7.34 ₩9,862

-69.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$27.81 ₩37.3K

-31.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$5.34 ₩7,167

3.93%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.78 ₩5,079

-55.82%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.87 ₩2,513

-65.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.01 ₩1,359

-69.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.02 ₩4,050

-21.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.37 ₩5,870

-16.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.35 ₩3,161

-17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$3.24 ₩4,357

-55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$3.20 ₩4,303

-58.44%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.63 ₩3,538

-13.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$11.08 ₩14.9K

48.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$10.52 ₩14.1K

-73.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$25.38 ₩34.1K

-63.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$11.39 ₩15.3K

-79.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$3.73 ₩5,009

-73.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$7.96 ₩10.7K

-79.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$5.86 ₩7,874

-74.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$5.95 ₩7,991

-78.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$3.38 ₩4,535

-67.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$2.85 ₩3,831

-75.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.32 ₩1,778

-62.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.37 ₩4,520

22.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$18.88 ₩25.4K

-7.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.47 ₩3,317

-34.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.38 ₩4,539

-17.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.16 ₩1,558

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$2.98 ₩4,008

-61.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.78 ₩1,052

-32.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$16.79 ₩22.5K

-85.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.36 ₩1,830

6.62%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$39.0K ₩52.4M

-46.03%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$33.9K ₩45.6M

-20.59%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$200 ₩268.3K

-68.89%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$36.15 ₩48.5K

-66.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$27.46 ₩36.9K

-26.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$53.3 ₩71.6K

-30.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$14.13 ₩19.0K

-73.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$11.29 ₩15.2K

-42.52%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$646 ₩867.1K

14.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$21.5K ₩28.8M

-31.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$104 ₩140.3K

-48.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$65.5 ₩88.0K

-62.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$92.3 ₩124.0K

-0.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$129 ₩172.6K

-44.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$484 ₩649.8K

-0.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$356 ₩478.0K

-13.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,160 ₩1.6M

-13.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$756 ₩1.0M

-16.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$7,009 ₩9.4M

-66.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$5,457 ₩7.3M

-70.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,713 ₩2.3M

-65.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.22

31.99%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Changwon: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Changwon

$356 23.3% 15.2% $47

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Changwon

$491 32.1% 109% $256

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Changwon

$176 11.5% 61.9% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Changwon

$263 17.2% 179% $169

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Changwon

$156 10.2% 101% $78

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Changwon

$12 * 0.8% 81.2% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Changwon

$76 5% 51% $26

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 $482 in Chiang Mai and $484 in Changwon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changwon pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $28 in Changwon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $491 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇷 Changwon

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

06:50 6:50 AM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,055,839

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Changwon 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Changwon

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 Changwon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,529 in Changwon, so Chiang Mai is about 39% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Chiang Mai. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $484 in Changwon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 109% higher in Changwon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $1,529 in Changwon – Chiang Mai is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Changwon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Changwon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.