Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Hat Yai

For one person, living is cheaper in Hat Yai: $728 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Hat Yai
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Hat Yai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Hat Yai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$728

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Hat Yai

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $728 in Hat Yai, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Hat Yai $728

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,295 in Hat Yai, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Hat Yai $1,295

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,863 in Hat Yai, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Hat Yai $1,863

Chiang Mai costs about 29% more than Hat Yai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Hat Yai are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Hat Yai 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$2.95 ฿99.4

-27.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$43.82 ฿1,479

-57.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$3.59 ฿121

55.99%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$2.83 ฿95.6

-41.34%

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

$0.65 ฿21.83

$1.25 ฿42.29

-48.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.56 ฿18.83

-46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.4

$1.77 ฿59.7

31.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$3.60 ฿122

1.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.51 ฿50.9

33.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.51

$1.24 ฿41.91

13.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.96

$1.23 ฿41.52

13.01%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$2.50 ฿84.5

-5.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$21.65 ฿730

-23.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$2.25 ฿76.0

18.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$11.06 ฿373

-18.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.56 ฿86.3

-6.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$1.44 ฿48.52

-27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.96 ฿66.0

-15.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.90 ฿64.1

-17.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.76

$1.52 ฿51.3

-18.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.66

$1.07 ฿36.08

1.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$1.10 ฿37.27

-30.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.35

$0.38 ฿12.76

34.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$4.23 ฿143

-2.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$14.56 ฿491

23.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.72 ฿58.0

-5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$1.92 ฿64.7

46.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.53

$0.56 ฿18.92

66.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.70

$1.37 ฿46.16

-13.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.79

$1.24 ฿41.71

-86.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$4.97 ฿168

-63.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$1.33 ฿44.82

10.53%

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

$21.0K ฿708.9K

$18.9K ฿636.5K

11.39%

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

$26.5K ฿894.6K

$45.2K ฿1.5M

-41.35%

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

$62.6 ฿2,111

$84.9 ฿2,865

-26.34%

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

$11.60 ฿392

$11.28 ฿381

2.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$9.44 ฿319

115.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$48.16 ฿1,625

-21.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$13.03 ฿440

-71.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$7.07 ฿238

-7.92%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$631 ฿21.3K

15.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.2K

$15.4K ฿519.4K

7.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,807

$37.39 ฿1,262

43.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿837

$27.14 ฿916

-8.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,050

$70.3 ฿2,371

28.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$96.4 ฿3,251

-25.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$262 ฿8,838

83.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$107 ฿3,602

190.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$718 ฿24.2K

47.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$394 ฿13.3K

67.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

$2,153 ฿72.6K

12.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,768 ฿59.6K

-9.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$452 ฿15.2K

31.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.36

-12.42%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Hat Yai

$107 14.7% 65.6% $203

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Hat Yai

$248 34% 4.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Hat Yai

$104 14.3% 4% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Hat Yai

$106 14.5% 11.8% $11

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Hat Yai

$92 12.6% 19.7% $15

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Hat Yai

$9.8 * 1.4% 83.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Hat Yai

$62 8.6% 22.4% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $262 in Hat Yai. 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 32% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $44 in Hat Yai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $248 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Hat Yai

🕒 Local time

13:16 1:16 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

156,802

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Hat Yai 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Hat Yai

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 Hat Yai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 29% more than Hat Yai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,092 in Hat Yai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hat Yai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $262 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $44 in Hat Yai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Families tend to lean toward Hat Yai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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