Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kampong Thom Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kampong Thom

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $845 per month in Chiang Mai vs $607 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,323 per month in Chiang Mai vs $960 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,802 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,312 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 39% more than Kampong Thom, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Chiang Mai and Kampong Thom are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 37% lower, Kampong Thom 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 ฿63.2

$4.87 ៛19.4K

-59.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.43 ฿597

$29.52 ៛117.8K

-37.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ฿243

$6.86 ៛27.4K

9.33%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ฿62.6

$2.54 ៛10.1K

-24.02%

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

$0.78 ฿25.22

$1.00 ៛3,978

-22.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.48

$0.99 ៛3,969

-67.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ฿69.6

$1.48 ៛5,898

45.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿120

$2.46 ៛9,814

50.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿55.5

$2.14 ៛8,529

-20.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$1.47 ៛5,866

6.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.27

$0.97 ៛3,883

21.65%

Eggs

$1.98 ฿64.2

$1.75 ៛6,989

13.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ฿520

$12.78 ៛51.0K

25.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿103

$4.00 ៛16.0K

-20.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿355

$10.27 ៛41.0K

6.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿85.1

$4.40 ៛17.5K

-40.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿37.82

$1.53 ៛6,123

-23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.3

$3.78 ៛15.1K

-56.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ฿49.78

$1.47 ៛5,874

4.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿44.59

$1.69 ៛6,734

-18.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿37.75

$1.20 ៛4,808

-2.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.37

$1.45 ៛5,779

-54.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.64

$0.68 ៛2,694

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 ฿146

$2.02 ៛8,078

123.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿594

$11.86 ៛47.3K

54.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.2

$1.04 ៛4,155

73.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿103

$1.68 ៛6,690

89.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.00 ฿616

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.76

$1.06 ៛4,244

33.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 ฿42.39

$0.99 ៛3,948

32.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 ฿262

$4.44 ៛17.7K

82.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.31

$1.17 ៛4,682

9.40%

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

$21.3K ฿689.9K

$49.2K ៛196.5M

-56.75%

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

$21.7K ฿703.2K

$36.5K ៛145.7M

-40.56%

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

$69.2 ฿2,242

$106 ៛423.6K

-34.80%

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

$13.97 ฿453

$6.43 ៛25.7K

117.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.95 ฿582

$23.32 ៛93.1K

-23.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.31 ฿1,371

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.66 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿192

$4.60 ៛18.4K

28.70%

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

$299 ฿9,694

$379 ៛1.5M

-21.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿481.1K

$11.3K ៛44.9M

31.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,820

$22.51 ៛89.8K

149.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.94 ฿873

$22.46 ៛89.6K

19.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 ฿2,750

$89.0 ៛355.0K

-4.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ฿2,327

$72.9 ៛291.0K

-1.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 ฿14.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ฿7,771

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ฿25.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,995 ฿64.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,532 ฿49.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$628 ฿20.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.3

-51.46%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 20, 2026

Last update for Kampong Thom: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $435 in Chiang Mai versus $0 in Kampong Thom. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Chiang Mai versus $30 in Kampong Thom. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Chiang Mai vs $243 in Kampong Thom – so Kampong Thom wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Kampong Thom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 39% more than Kampong Thom, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,267 per month in Chiang Mai and $910 in Kampong Thom. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $30.00 in Kampong Thom. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 0% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $845 in Chiang Mai and $607 in Kampong Thom, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kampong Thom costs $607 versus $845 in Chiang Mai. 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 Kampong Thom. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.