Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Koh Phangan

Name: Koh Phangan
Address: Koh Phangan, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,024 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
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Koh Phangan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Koh Phangan

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,024 in Koh Phangan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Koh Phangan $1,024

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,693 in Koh Phangan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Koh Phangan $1,693

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,361 in Koh Phangan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Koh Phangan $2,361

Chiang Mai is about 10% cheaper than Koh Phangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Koh Phangan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Koh Phangan 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$3.97 ฿133

-42.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$29.08 ฿972

-32.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.90 ฿264

-28.99%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.53 ฿84.5

-34.39%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.87 ฿28.98

-19.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.42 ฿13.98

-26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.21 ฿73.9

9.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.45 ฿115

7.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.58 ฿52.9

23.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.39 ฿46.52

1.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.50 ฿50.0

-12.67%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.05 ฿68.5

6.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$18.33 ฿613

-9.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.31 ฿111

-16.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$10.35 ฿346

-11.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.81 ฿93.9

-14.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.66 ฿55.3

-37.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.11 ฿70.4

-22.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$2.05 ฿68.5

-26.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.46 ฿48.81

-11.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.32 ฿44.04

-15.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.06 ฿35.46

-32.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.52 ฿17.45

1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.20 ฿140

2.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$17.36 ฿580

3.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.76 ฿58.7

-10.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.67 ฿89.4

6.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$2.06 ฿68.9

-58.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$2.64 ฿88.3

-54.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.92 ฿30.81

-38.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$3.47 ฿116

-32.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.32 ฿44.17

9.09%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$23.8K ฿796.2K

-12.99%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$24.5K ฿818.5K

9.43%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$98.4 ฿3,287

-36.64%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$11.11 ฿371

9.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$16.91 ฿565

17.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$52.8 ฿1,764

-29.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$10.82 ฿362

-65.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$7.69 ฿257

-15.47%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$560 ฿18.7K

41.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$11.7K ฿391.0K

26.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$63.7 ฿2,129

-15.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$28.59 ฿955

-13.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$95.9 ฿3,205

-5.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$86.9 ฿2,905

-18.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$509 ฿17.0K

-10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$326 ฿10.9K

-8.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,464 ฿48.9K

-37.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$833 ฿27.8K

-33.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,509 ฿83.9K

-23.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,781 ฿59.5K

-18.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$713 ฿23.8K

-17.08%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Koh Phangan

$326 31.8% 9.5% $28

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Koh Phangan

$256 25% 8.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Koh Phangan

$124 12.1% 14.5% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Koh Phangan

$126 12.3% 33.9% $32

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Koh Phangan

$109 10.6% 38.5% $30

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Koh Phangan

$16 * 1.5% 74.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Koh Phangan

$68 6.7% 36.2% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $509 in Koh Phangan. 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 21% higher in Koh Phangan, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $29.00 in Koh Phangan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $256 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🕒 Local time

04:14 4:14 AM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Koh Phangan 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Koh Phangan

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 Koh Phangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Phangan costs about 11% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,537 in Koh Phangan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $29.00 in Koh Phangan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Koh Phangan, 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 Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Koh Phangan at $1,024. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Koh Phangan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,024 in Koh Phangan. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Koh Phangan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.