Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Jeonju

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,149 in Jeonju, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. The total is higher in Jeonju despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Jeonju
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Jeonju Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Jeonju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,149

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,149 in Jeonju, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Jeonju $1,149

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,796 in Jeonju, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Jeonju $1,796

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,443 in Jeonju, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Jeonju $2,443

Chiang Mai is about 19% cheaper than Jeonju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Jeonju are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Jeonju 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$7.48 ₩10.0K

-70.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$22.90 ₩30.8K

-17.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$5.43 ₩7,287

2.21%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.81 ₩5,112

-56.17%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.12 ₩1,503

-42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.61 ₩824

-49.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.85 ₩3,827

-17.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.16 ₩5,591

-12.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.15 ₩2,885

-9.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$2.30 ₩3,095

-37.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$3.12 ₩4,186

-57.37%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.30 ₩3,090

-0.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$10.99 ₩14.8K

49.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$10.53 ₩14.1K

-73.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$25.57 ₩34.3K

-63.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$11.45 ₩15.4K

-79.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$3.33 ₩4,472

-70.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$8.37 ₩11.2K

-80.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$4.61 ₩6,197

-67.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$6.20 ₩8,319

-79.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$2.29 ₩3,075

-51.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$2.91 ₩3,907

-75.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.77 ₩1,031

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.47 ₩4,662

19.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$18.83 ₩25.3K

-6.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.49 ₩1,998

8.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.51 ₩4,710

-20.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.22 ₩1,634

-28.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$3.32 ₩4,460

-65.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.76 ₩1,022

-30.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$16.74 ₩22.5K

-85.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.21 ₩1,631

19.83%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$39.1K ₩52.5M

-46.13%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$34.6K ₩46.5M

-22.21%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$72.0 ₩96.7K

-13.65%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$30.65 ₩41.2K

-60.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$27.49 ₩36.9K

-26.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$11.98 ₩16.1K

-45.83%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$638 ₩856.7K

15.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$22.0K ₩29.5M

-32.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$105 ₩140.4K

-48.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$64.9 ₩87.2K

-62.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$44.53 ₩59.8K

105.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$37.95 ₩51.0K

89.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$266 ₩356.5K

81.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$259 ₩348.4K

19.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$460 ₩617.1K

37.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$2,295 ₩3.1M

-74.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.22

31.99%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jeonju: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Jeonju

$259 22.6% 16% $49

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Jeonju

$458 39.9% 95.6% $224

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Jeonju

$113 9.9% 4.4% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Jeonju

$130 11.3% 37.8% $36

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Jeonju

$151 13.2% 95.1% $74

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Jeonju

$12 * 1% 80.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Jeonju

$24 * 2.1% 52.3% $26

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 $266 in Jeonju. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Jeonju 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 $23 in Jeonju. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $458 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇷 Jeonju

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

06:51 6:51 AM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

653,387

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Jeonju 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Jeonju

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 Jeonju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeonju costs about 23% 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 $1,723 in Jeonju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jeonju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $266 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $23 in Jeonju. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 96% more in Jeonju, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,149 in Jeonju. 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 $1,149 in Jeonju. 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, Jeonju makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.