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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $869 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,186 in Dunafรถldvรกr, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,362 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,832 in Dunafรถldvรกr, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,855 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,478 in Dunafรถldvรกr, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 27% cheaper than Dunafรถldvรกr, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Dunafรถldvรกr are more affordable than the global median โ€“ Chiang Mai 35% lower, Dunafรถldvรกr 12% lower.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Dunafรถldvรกr
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.98 เธฟ64.3
$11.47 Ftย 3,470
-82.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.80 เธฟ612
$48.20 Ftย 14.6K
-61.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.75 เธฟ252
$7.83 Ftย 2,370
-1.02%
Cappuccino
$1.92 เธฟ62.5
$2.49 Ftย 753
-22.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.79 เธฟ25.79
$1.43 Ftย 432
-44.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 เธฟ11.62
$0.93 Ftย 280
-61.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.21 เธฟ72.1
$2.60 Ftย 787
-15.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 เธฟ119
$2.64 Ftย 799
38.64%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Dunafรถldvรกr
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 เธฟ53.8
$1.12 Ftย 338
47.32%
White Bread (500g)
$1.63 เธฟ53.2
$1.48 Ftย 447
10.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 เธฟ38.86
$1.80 Ftย 543
-33.89%
Eggs
$2.00 เธฟ65.1
$2.95 Ftย 893
-32.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.98 เธฟ520
$9.43 Ftย 2,853
69.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.03 เธฟ98.5
$5.89 Ftย 1,781
-48.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.86 เธฟ354
$10.97 Ftย 3,319
-1.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.76 เธฟ90.0
$2.24 Ftย 677
23.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.18 เธฟ38.42
$1.96 Ftย 593
-39.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.64 เธฟ53.5
$2.02 Ftย 611
-18.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.52 เธฟ49.51
$4.19 Ftย 1,268
-63.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.38 เธฟ45.10
$1.40 Ftย 424
-1.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.19 เธฟ38.84
$1.27 Ftย 386
-6.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.70 เธฟ22.86
$1.49 Ftย 451
-53.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 เธฟ18.13
$0.49 Ftย 148
14.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.58 เธฟ149
$7.51 Ftย 2,273
-39.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.56 เธฟ539
$6.45 Ftย 1,951
156.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.83 เธฟ59.5
$1.10 Ftย 332
66.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 เธฟ104
$1.18 Ftย 358
171.19%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Dunafรถldvรกr
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 เธฟ28.56
$1.12 Ftย 340
-21.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$18.72 เธฟ610
$25.21 Ftย 7,628
-25.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.36 เธฟ44.16
$2.95 Ftย 894
-53.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.34 เธฟ43.65
$1.15 Ftย 347
16.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.84 เธฟ256
$17.10 Ftย 5,173
-54.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.23 เธฟ39.92
$1.77 Ftย 535
-30.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K เธฟ704.3K
$31.1K Ftย 9.4M
-30.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.5K เธฟ734.3K
$36.6K Ftย 11.1M
-38.39%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Dunafรถldvรกr
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$70.5 เธฟ2,298
$146 Ftย 44.1K
-51.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.68 เธฟ445
$30.24 Ftย 9,148
-54.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.45 เธฟ568
$24.98 Ftย 7,556
-30.14%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Dunafรถldvรกr
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.33 เธฟ1,346
$46.36 Ftย 14.0K
-10.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.96 เธฟ227
$16.62 Ftย 5,027
-58.12%
Cinema Ticket
$5.77 เธฟ188
$8.12 Ftย 2,458
-28.94%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Dunafรถldvรกr
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$307 เธฟ10.0K
$468 Ftย 141.6K
-34.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.6K เธฟ475.9K
$6,638 Ftย 2.0M
120.10%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Dunafรถldvรกr
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.8 เธฟ1,817
$90.6 Ftย 27.4K
-38.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.21 เธฟ854
$26.12 Ftย 7,903
0.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.8 เธฟ2,793
$93.9 Ftย 28.4K
-8.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.2 เธฟ2,353
$105 Ftย 31.6K
-30.92%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Dunafรถldvรกr
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$430 เธฟ14.0K
$451 Ftย 136.4K
-4.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$239 เธฟ7,774
$340 Ftย 103.0K
-29.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$817 เธฟ26.6K
$623 Ftย 188.4K
31.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$511 เธฟ16.6K
$529 Ftย 160.2K
-3.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,983 เธฟ64.6K
$3,238 Ftย 979.5K
-38.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,484 เธฟ48.3K
$2,438 Ftย 737.7K
-39.14%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Dunafรถldvรกr
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$619 เธฟ20.2K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5
8
-37.50%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Last update for Dunafรถldvรกr: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Chiang Mai versus $451 in Dunafรถldvรกr. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $48.00 in Dunafรถldvรกr. Groceries tell a different story โ€“ $241 in Chiang Mai vs $227 in Dunafรถldvรกr โ€“ so Dunafรถldvรกr wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Dunafรถldvรกr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Dunafรถldvรกr?
Dunafรถldvรกr costs about 36% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai vs Dunafรถldvรกr?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,303 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,779 in Dunafรถldvรกr. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled โ€“ not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Dunafรถldvรกr?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and Dunafรถldvรกr?
Kindergarten costs $307 per month in Chiang Mai and $468 in Dunafรถldvรกr. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or Dunafรถldvรกr?
Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Dunafรถldvรกr โ€“ one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Chiang Mai or Dunafรถldvรกr?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $869, than in Dunafรถldvรกr at $1,186. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dunafรถldvรกr it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or Dunafรถldvรกr?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $869 versus $1,186 in Dunafรถldvรกr. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Dunafรถldvรกr?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison โ€“ central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or Dunafรถldvรกr?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dunafรถldvรกr makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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