Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Lampang

For one person, living is cheaper in Lampang: $849 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Lampang
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Lampang Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Lampang

🇹🇭 Thailand

$849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $849 in Lampang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Lampang $849

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,421 in Lampang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Lampang $1,421

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,993 in Lampang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Lampang $1,993

Chiang Mai costs about 10% more than Lampang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Lampang are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Lampang 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$2.09 ฿70.6

1.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$18.56 ฿626

0.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$5.37 ฿181

4.28%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.21 ฿40.76

37.19%

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

$0.65 ฿21.83

$0.38 ฿12.70

71.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.33 ฿11.28

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.4

$1.51 ฿51.1

53.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$3.76 ฿127

-2.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.98 ฿66.8

2.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.51

$1.48 ฿49.98

-4.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.96

$1.33 ฿44.90

4.51%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$2.33 ฿78.7

1.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$16.95 ฿572

-2.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$2.78 ฿93.8

-3.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$9.12 ฿308

-1.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.40 ฿81.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$1.08 ฿36.46

-3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.59 ฿53.8

4.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.63 ฿55.0

-4.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.76

$1.28 ฿43.19

-3.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.66

$1.08 ฿36.46

0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.71 ฿23.89

7.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.35

$0.55 ฿18.44

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$4.15 ฿140

-0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$17.71 ฿598

1.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.56 ฿52.7

3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$2.81 ฿95.0

0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.53

$0.88 ฿29.54

5.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.70

$1.17 ฿39.43

0.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.79

$0.19 ฿6.52

-10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$1.75 ฿58.9

3.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$1.01 ฿34.09

45.54%

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

$21.0K ฿708.9K

$20.6K ฿693.9K

2.16%

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

$26.5K ฿894.6K

$26.7K ฿899.7K

-0.57%

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

$62.6 ฿2,111

$30.08 ฿1,015

107.98%

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

$11.60 ฿392

$11.86 ฿400

-2.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$17.58 ฿593

15.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$48.94 ฿1,651

-22.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$11.92 ฿402

-68.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$5.27 ฿178

23.53%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$735 ฿24.8K

-1.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.2K

$16.5K ฿555.5K

0.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,807

$53.6 ฿1,809

-0.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿837

$24.87 ฿839

-0.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,050

$91.2 ฿3,076

-0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$72.0 ฿2,430

-0.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$442 ฿14.9K

8.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$311 ฿10.5K

-0.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$1,186 ฿40.0K

-10.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$783 ฿26.4K

-15.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

$1,944 ฿65.6K

24.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,585 ฿53.5K

1.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$590 ฿19.9K

0.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

85.67%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lampang: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Lampang

$311 36.7% 0.5% $1.5

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Lampang

$239 28.1% 0.8% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Lampang

$109 12.8% 0.4% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Lampang

$60 7% 37% $35

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Lampang

$65 7.7% 14.8% $11

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Lampang

$5.6 * 0.7% 90.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Lampang

$59 7% 16.8% $8.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $442 in Lampang. 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $19 in Lampang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $239 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Lampang

🕒 Local time

09:55 9:55 AM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

52,124

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Lampang 77 km

From you

Chiang Mai
Lampang

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 Lampang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 10% more than Lampang, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,273 in Lampang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $481 in Chiang Mai and $442 in Lampang. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $849 in Lampang. That makes Lampang about 9% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $735 in Lampang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $849 in Lampang to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.