Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kampot

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampot: $483 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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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

$938

/mo nomad

Kampot

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $483 in Kampot, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Kampot $483

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $753 in Kampot, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Kampot $753

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,022 in Kampot, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Kampot $1,022

Chiang Mai costs about 94% more than Kampot, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Kampot are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Kampot 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.97 ៛12.1K

-23.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$19.94 ៛81.0K

-3.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$5.40 ៛21.9K

3.52%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.80 ៛7,293

-4.44%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.02 ៛4,128

-37.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.83 ៛3,390

-60.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.42 ៛5,753

66.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$1.99 ៛8,064

95.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$2.35 ៛9,554

-12.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.79 ៛7,276

25.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$17.34 ៛70.5K

-46.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.07 ៛4,340

-5.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.18 ៛4,777

8.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.77 ៛3,132

-32.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$14.98 ៛60.8K

18.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.14 ៛4,638

42.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$2.01 ៛8,181

-57.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$2.01 ៛8,172

-41.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.25 ៛5,078

-54.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.35 ៛5,499

7.41%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$55.8 ៛226.6K

11.70%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$7.03 ៛28.5K

74.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$21.16 ៛85.9K

-5.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$214 ៛867.3K

117.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$165 ៛671.9K

84.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$396 ៛1.6M

131.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$328 ៛1.3M

68.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$148 ៛599.2K

303.49%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Kampot: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Kampot

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Kampot

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Kampot

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Kampot

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Kampot

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Kampot

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Kampot

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $214 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 303% 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 – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $138 in Kampot – so Kampot wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇭 Kampot

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

39,186

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KHR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4,062 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD). 1 EUR = 4,567 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kampot 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kampot

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 Kampot: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 94% more than Kampot, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $725 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $938 in Chiang Mai and $483 in Kampot. That's a gap of about 94%.

Groceries cost about 73% 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.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kampot, where all-in costs run around $483, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Kampot it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kampot costs $483 versus $938 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.