Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Icheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,599 in Icheon, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
77

Cost of Living Index in Icheon
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Icheon Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Icheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,599 in Icheon, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Icheon $1,599

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,052 in Icheon, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Icheon $2,052

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,506 in Icheon, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Icheon $2,506

Chiang Mai is about 41% cheaper than Icheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Icheon is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$6.24 ₩8,337

-64.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$49.61 ₩66.2K

-61.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.65 ₩8,873

-16.54%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.67 ₩4,894

-54.50%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.33 ₩1,778

-51.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.18 ₩1,571

-73.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$3.86 ₩5,151

-38.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.24 ₩5,655

-13.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.29 ₩3,062

-14.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$3.19 ₩4,259

-54.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$3.12 ₩4,161

-57.37%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.65 ₩3,543

-13.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$11.29 ₩15.1K

45.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$10.73 ₩14.3K

-74.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$25.00 ₩33.4K

-62.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$11.46 ₩15.3K

-79.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$3.59 ₩4,800

-72.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$7.97 ₩10.6K

-79.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$6.08 ₩8,121

-75.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$5.89 ₩7,864

-78.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$3.31 ₩4,413

-66.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$2.84 ₩3,793

-75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$1.34 ₩1,794

-63.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.42 ₩4,569

21.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$18.77 ₩25.1K

-6.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.43 ₩3,242

-33.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.45 ₩4,605

-19.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$1.10 ₩1,474

-20.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$3.52 ₩4,698

-67.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.74 ₩984

-28.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$17.15 ₩22.9K

-85.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.42 ₩1,898

2.11%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$40.4K ₩53.9M

-47.84%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$33.6K ₩44.9M

-19.85%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$205 ₩274.3K

-69.74%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$36.50 ₩48.7K

-66.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$27.50 ₩36.7K

-26.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$22.67 ₩30.3K

64.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$11.46 ₩15.3K

-43.37%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$631 ₩842.0K

16.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$22.3K ₩29.8M

-33.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$107 ₩142.3K

-49.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$64.9 ₩86.6K

-62.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$94.2 ₩125.7K

-2.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$127 ₩169.3K

-43.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$763 ₩1.0M

-36.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$454 ₩606.0K

-31.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$2,314 ₩3.1M

-74.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.9

42.82%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Icheon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Icheon

$454 28.4% 46.9% $145

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Icheon

$490 30.6% 109% $256

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Icheon

$177 11% 62.5% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Icheon

$269 16.9% 185% $175

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Icheon

$152 9.5% 95.5% $74

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Icheon

$12 * 0.7% 81.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Icheon

$46 2.9% 9.3% $4.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $763 in Icheon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Icheon are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $50 in Icheon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $490 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇷 Icheon

🕒 Local time

10:23 10:23 AM

12:23 12:23 PM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

213,059

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Icheon

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 Icheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Icheon costs about 71% 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,398 in Icheon. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $763 in Icheon.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $50 in Icheon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 109% more in Icheon, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,599 in Icheon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,599 in Icheon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Icheon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.