Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Gyeonggi

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,072 in Gyeonggi, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gyeonggi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Gyeonggi
Learn more

Gyeonggi Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Gyeonggi

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,072 in Gyeonggi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Gyeonggi $1,072

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,079 in Gyeonggi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Gyeonggi $2,079

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,085 in Gyeonggi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Gyeonggi $3,085

Chiang Mai is about 12% cheaper than Gyeonggi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Gyeonggi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Gyeonggi 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$7.53 ₩10.0K

-69.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$60.6 ₩80.6K

-68.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$6.00 ₩7,975

-6.83%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$3.90 ₩5,180

-55.90%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.22 ₩1,625

-47.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.68 ₩903

-51.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$3.47 ₩4,610

-31.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.93 ₩3,890

33.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.76 ₩2,334

16.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$11.17 ₩14.9K

-78.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$3.82 ₩5,084

-73.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$7.70 ₩10.2K

-79.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$3.07 ₩4,087

-61.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.58 ₩775

-1.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.46 ₩1,945

-0.68%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$186 ₩247.8K

-66.56%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$40.40 ₩53.7K

-69.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$21.83 ₩29.0K

-8.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$56.3 ₩74.9K

-32.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$10.32 ₩13.7K

-34.98%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$58.9 ₩78.4K

-9.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$42.06 ₩55.9K

-40.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$86.3 ₩114.8K

6.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$532 ₩707.0K

-12.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$373 ₩496.5K

-18.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$2,102 ₩2.8M

-56.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$1,503 ₩2.0M

-63.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$2,244 ₩3.0M

-73.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.5

59.14%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gyeonggi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Gyeonggi

$373 34.8% 22.6% $69

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Gyeonggi

$127 * 11.9% 46.6% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Gyeonggi

$84 * 7.9% 23% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Gyeonggi

$249 23.2% 163% $154

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Gyeonggi

$156 14.5% 97.2% $77

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Gyeonggi

$6 * 0.6% 90.2% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Gyeonggi

$77 7.2% 49.9% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $532 in Gyeonggi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 277% higher in Gyeonggi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $61.0 in Gyeonggi. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $127 in Gyeonggi – so Gyeonggi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇷 Gyeonggi

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

05:14 5:14 AM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,234,582

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Gyeonggi 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Gyeonggi

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 Gyeonggi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gyeonggi costs about 14% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,608 in Gyeonggi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $938 in Chiang Mai and $1,072 in Gyeonggi. That's a gap of about 14%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 87% cheaper in Gyeonggi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Gyeonggi at $1,072. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gyeonggi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,072 in Gyeonggi. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gyeonggi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.