Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,118 in Jeju, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Jeju outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,118

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,118 in Jeju, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Jeju $1,118

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,917 in Jeju, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Jeju $1,917

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,715 in Jeju, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Jeju $2,715

Chiang Mai is about 16% cheaper than Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Jeju are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Jeju 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$7.33 ₩9,784

-69.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$51.9 ₩69.2K

-63.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.61 ₩7,495

-1.07%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$5.87 ₩7,834

-71.55%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.19 ₩2,924

-70.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$2.06 ₩2,753

-84.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$3.93 ₩5,245

-39.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.07 ₩4,102

19.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.26 ₩3,017

-13.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$2.31 ₩3,079

-37.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$2.31 ₩3,085

-42.42%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.62 ₩3,498

-12.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$2.20 ₩2,940

-55.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$2.97 ₩3,960

-56.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$1.87 ₩2,496

-41.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$2.28 ₩3,038

-68.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.47 ₩624

4.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$11.48 ₩15.3K

52.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.85 ₩2,465

-12.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.72 ₩2,295

61.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.99 ₩1,321

-12.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.37 ₩1,835

5.84%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$214 ₩285.7K

-70.95%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$54.0 ₩72.0K

-77.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$19.65 ₩26.2K

2.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$25.3K ₩33.8M

-41.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$52.7 ₩70.3K

1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$29.78 ₩39.8K

-17.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$66.6 ₩88.9K

37.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$90.8 ₩121.2K

-20.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$461 ₩615.2K

4.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$388 ₩518.2K

-20.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,372 ₩1.8M

-26.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,192 ₩1.6M

-46.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$10.8K ₩14.4M

-78.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$6,659 ₩8.9M

-76.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,883 ₩2.5M

-68.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Jeju

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Jeju

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Jeju

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Jeju

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Jeju

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Jeju

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Jeju

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $461 in Jeju. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Jeju are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $52 in Jeju. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $142 in Jeju – so Jeju wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

07:19 7:19 AM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

469,279

💱 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 1, 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 1, 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

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Jeju 3,180 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Jeju

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 Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeju costs about 19% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,677 in Jeju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $461 in Jeju. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,118 in Jeju. That makes Chiang Mai about 16% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 40% cheaper in Jeju – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,118 in Jeju. 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 $1,118 in Jeju. 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, Jeju makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.