Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Loei

Name: Loei
Address: Loei, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,005 in Loei, rent and utilities included – about $840 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Loei
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Loei Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Loei

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,005

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,005 in Loei, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Loei $1,005

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,612 in Loei, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Loei $1,612

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,220 in Loei, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Loei $2,220

Chiang Mai is about 7% cheaper than Loei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Loei are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Loei 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$3.28 ฿111

-35.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$26.26 ฿886

-29.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$8.02 ฿271

-30.17%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$2.15 ฿72.4

-22.79%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$0.72 ฿24.40

-9.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.32 ฿10.75

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$2.11 ฿71.3

9.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$2.91 ฿98.2

26.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.93 ฿65.1

4.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.61 ฿54.3

-12.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$1.49 ฿50.4

-6.71%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$2.27 ฿76.6

4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$18.80 ฿634

-12.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$2.28 ฿76.9

17.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$11.98 ฿404

-24.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.99 ฿101

-19.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$0.91 ฿30.82

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.21 ฿74.5

-24.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.98 ฿66.7

-21.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$1.52 ฿51.1

-18.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$1.27 ฿42.90

-14.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$1.00 ฿33.83

-24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.45 ฿15.31

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$3.80 ฿128

8.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$18.74 ฿632

-4.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.65 ฿55.7

-1.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$2.89 ฿97.4

-2.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$0.81 ฿27.47

14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$1.35 ฿45.50

-12.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$1.18 ฿39.69

-85.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$4.14 ฿140

-56.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$1.27 ฿42.73

15.75%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$29.4K ฿991.2K

-28.50%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$27.1K ฿914.0K

-2.15%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$92.4 ฿3,117

-32.31%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$9.86 ฿333

17.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$17.50 ฿590

16.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$49.98 ฿1,686

-24.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$13.80 ฿465

-73.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$6.29 ฿212

3.50%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$697 ฿23.5K

4.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$17.3K ฿583.2K

-4.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$56.3 ฿1,899

-4.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$31.06 ฿1,048

-20.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$77.2 ฿2,605

17.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$73.7 ฿2,485

-2.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$441 ฿14.9K

9.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$347 ฿11.7K

-10.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$1,153 ฿38.9K

-8.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$784 ฿26.4K

-15.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$2,351 ฿79.3K

2.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,710 ฿57.7K

-5.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Loei: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Loei

$347 34.5% 11.8% $37

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Loei

$261 26% 10.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Loei

$107 10.7% 1% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Loei

$120 11.9% 26.8% $25

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Loei

$97 9.6% 26.2% $20

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Loei

$10 * 1% 82.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Loei

$63 6.2% 22.9% $12

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 $441 in Loei. 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 $26 in Loei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $261 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Loei

🕒 Local time

09:15 9:15 AM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

22,677

💱 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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Chiang Mai Loei 320 km

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Chiang Mai
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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 Loei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Loei costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,507 in Loei. 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 $441 in Loei. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $26 in Loei. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Loei, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,005 in Loei. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,005 in Loei. 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.