Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Korla

For one person, living is cheaper in Korla: $650 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Korla
Learn more

Korla Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Korla

🇨🇳 China

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $650 in Korla, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Korla $650

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,046 in Korla, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Korla $1,046

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,442 in Korla, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Korla $1,442

Chiang Mai costs about 44% more than Korla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Korla are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Korla 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.06 ¥20.38

-26.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$16.36 ¥109

16.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.13 ¥34.13

8.19%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.87 ¥19.08

-41.81%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.47 ¥3.13

36.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.26 ¥1.74

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$0.88 ¥5.83

168.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.47 ¥9.78

148.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.28 ¥8.49

52.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.91 ¥6.06

58.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$0.67 ¥4.47

98.51%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.53 ¥10.20

49.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$6.16 ¥40.96

167.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.48 ¥16.50

12.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.83 ¥65.4

-5.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.04 ¥13.55

15.20%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.27 ¥8.43

-23.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.84 ¥12.26

-13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.73 ¥4.83

105.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.54 ¥3.63

137.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.61 ¥4.09

80.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.50 ¥3.34

42.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.48 ¥3.22

2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.03 ¥20.14

36.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$10.57 ¥70.3

65.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.14 ¥7.57

41.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.48 ¥9.86

87.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.26 ¥1.74

234.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$18.22 ¥121

196.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$1.34 ¥8.89

-13.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.21 ¥1.40

152.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$7.63 ¥50.8

-68.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.19 ¥7.90

21.85%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$18.2K ¥121.4K

15.44%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$14.1K ¥93.8K

91.12%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$68.2 ¥454

-8.81%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$5.25 ¥34.93

131.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$11.36 ¥75.6

77.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$39.34 ¥262

-5.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$13.56 ¥90.2

-72.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.22 ¥34.76

24.33%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$162 ¥1,078

354.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$9,078 ¥60.4K

62.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$18.07 ¥120

195.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$21.97 ¥146

12.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$105 ¥696

-12.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$44.96 ¥299

60.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$269 ¥1,792

79.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$164 ¥1,091

88.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$650 ¥4,327

54.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$389 ¥2,591

62.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$2,961 ¥19.7K

-20.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,938 ¥12.9K

-18.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$750 ¥4,989

-21.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.39

64.31%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Korla: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Korla

$164 25.2% 46.9% $145

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Korla

$160 24.7% 31.6% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Korla

$85 13.1% 21.5% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Korla

$85 13% 10.2% $9.7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Korla

$85 13% 9% $7

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Korla

$22 3.3% 64.7% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Korla

$50 7.7% 1% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $269 in Korla. 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 27% higher in Korla, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $16 in Korla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $160 – making Korla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇳 Korla

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

10:06 10:06 AM

1 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

779,352

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Korla 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Korla

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 Korla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 44% more than Korla, 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 $975 in Korla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Korla, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $269 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $162 in Korla. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Korla, where all-in costs run around $650, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Korla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Korla – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Korla is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.