Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kampot Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kampot

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $561 in Kampot, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $847 in Kampot, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,133 in Kampot, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 55% more than Kampot, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Chiang Mai and Kampot are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Kampot 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$2.83 ៛11.4K

-31.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$20.05 ៛80.6K

-7.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$5.60 ៛22.5K

39.64%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$1.73 ៛6,953

12.72%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.77 ៛3,115

10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.82 ៛3,278

-57.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$1.42 ៛5,713

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$3.59 ៛14.4K

3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$2.03 ៛8,149

-15.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$2.16 ៛8,670

-24.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$0.79 ៛3,165

44.30%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$1.87 ៛7,530

3.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$6.00 ៛24.1K

-48.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$9.20 ៛37.0K

18.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$2.45 ៛9,855

12.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$1.13 ៛4,542

7.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.23 ៛4,955

29.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$1.08 ៛4,349

29.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$1.21 ៛4,875

-3.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$0.74 ៛2,966

-10.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.77 ៛3,088

-31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$1.72 ៛6,917

172.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.21 ៛4,865

48.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.07 ៛4,321

201.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$1.96 ៛7,880

-54.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$0.41 ៛1,654

214.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$1.37 ៛5,523

-7.30%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$65.2 ៛262.2K

5.92%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$4.86 ៛19.5K

189.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$31.94 ៛128.4K

-43.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$15.30 ៛61.5K

168.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$5.03 ៛20.2K

38.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

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

$299 ฿9,766

$95.9 ៛385.7K

211.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$254 ៛1.0M

68.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$193 ៛774.2K

23.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$418 ៛1.7M

91.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$313 ៛1.3M

64.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$149 ៛597.5K

315.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kampot: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $254 in Kampot. 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 316% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $20.00 in Kampot. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Chiang Mai vs $161 in Kampot – so Kampot 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 Kampot: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 55% more than Kampot, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $841 in Kampot. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kampot, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $20.00 in Kampot. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $561 in Kampot, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kampot costs $561 versus $866 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 Kampot. 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.