Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Maoming Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Maoming

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $947 per month in Chiang Mai vs $712 in Maoming, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,411 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,138 in Maoming, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,874 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,564 in Maoming, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 33% more than Maoming, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Chiang Mai and Maoming are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Maoming 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.6

$2.62 ¥17.58

-20.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$22.94 ¥154

-14.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$4.20 ¥28.16

34.52%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.4

$2.81 ¥18.87

-35.59%

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

$0.71 ฿23.45

$0.49 ¥3.31

44.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.31 ¥2.10

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.6

$0.92 ¥6.17

143.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$1.91 ¥12.80

90.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$1.74 ¥11.69

12.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.39

$1.76 ¥11.81

-14.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.93

$1.01 ¥6.75

32.67%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.5

$1.64 ¥11.00

37.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿535

$15.11 ¥101

7.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$3.47 ¥23.31

-14.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

$11.00 ¥73.8

-9.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.6

$1.93 ¥12.94

33.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.73

$1.33 ¥8.95

-20.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$1.55 ¥10.39

3.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.97

$1.23 ¥8.24

23.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.77

$0.72 ¥4.81

76.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.06

$0.94 ¥6.30

13.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.68

$0.65 ¥4.36

10.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.56 ¥3.73

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$3.39 ¥22.72

23.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$11.35 ¥76.2

57.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$0.85 ¥5.68

98.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.3

$1.51 ¥10.13

88.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.43

$0.29 ¥1.91

220.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,771

$19.43 ¥130

177.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.59

$1.53 ¥10.25

-19.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.36 ¥2.39

61.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$7.51 ¥50.4

-67.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.43

$1.21 ¥8.14

16.53%

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

$21.4K ฿705.1K

$19.2K ¥128.9K

11.59%

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

$27.3K ฿898.7K

$17.1K ¥114.7K

59.85%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$55.8 ¥374

14.14%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$8.67 ¥58.2

48.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$11.97 ¥80.3

68.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$32.96 ¥221

17.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

$15.09 ¥101

-73.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿222

$6.20 ¥41.60

8.71%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$390 ¥2,618

99.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.4K

$16.4K ¥110.3K

-11.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$42.52 ¥285

27.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿837

$33.52 ¥225

-24.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,102

$81.5 ¥547

15.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,415

$81.7 ¥548

-10.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$250 ¥1,680

95.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,512

$195 ¥1,311

48.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$564 ¥3,787

58.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$427 ¥2,866

21.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$2,906 ¥19.5K

-32.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.6K

$2,175 ¥14.6K

-32.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

$1,047 ¥7,023

-42.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.38

64.79%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Maoming: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $250 in Maoming. 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 74% higher in Maoming, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $23.00 in Maoming. Groceries tell a different story – $240 in Chiang Mai vs $215 in Maoming – so Maoming wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Maoming: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 33% more than Maoming, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,421 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,068 in Maoming. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maoming, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $778 per month in Chiang Mai and $390 in Maoming. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Maoming, where all-in costs run around $712, than in Chiang Mai at $947. In Maoming 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. Maoming costs $712 versus $947 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 Maoming. 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.