Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mawlamyine

For one person, living is cheaper in Mawlamyine: $650 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Mawlamyine
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Mawlamyine Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Mawlamyine

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Chiang Mai $936
Mawlamyine $650

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $954 in Mawlamyine, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Mawlamyine $954

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,259 in Mawlamyine, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Mawlamyine $1,259

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$1.96 MMK 4,097

14.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$4.96 MMK 10.4K

11.90%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$0.98 MMK 2,044

70.41%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.51 MMK 1,070

25.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.52 MMK 3,175

140.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.92 MMK 1,934

111.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.48 MMK 1,009

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.06 MMK 6,404

-25.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$8.30 MMK 17.4K

98.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.15 MMK 4,504

29.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$3.67 MMK 7,688

153.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.62 MMK 3,396

45.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.86 MMK 1,802

12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.76 MMK 3,686

-9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$2.84 MMK 5,949

-47.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.46 MMK 3,060

-12.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.37 MMK 766

197.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.56 MMK 3,261

-54.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.19 MMK 406

157.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.17 MMK 2,448

37.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.75 MMK 3,669

58.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.54 MMK 3,230

-43.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.99 MMK 4,164

-41.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$2.54 MMK 5,308

-79.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.79 MMK 3,742

-18.99%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$49.2K MMK 103.1M

-57.24%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$34.7K MMK 72.6M

-22.26%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$75.6 MMK 158.2K

-17.72%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$25.05 MMK 52.4K

-51.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$49.89 MMK 104.4K

-59.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$118 MMK 247.6K

-68.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$4.89 MMK 10.2K

-22.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$9.92 MMK 20.8K

-34.58%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$507 MMK 1.1M

45.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$9,031 MMK 18.9M

63.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$38.26 MMK 80.1K

39.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$36.36 MMK 76.1K

-32.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$23.53 MMK 49.3K

205.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$251 MMK 526.1K

91.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$118 MMK 247.5K

161.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$604 MMK 1.3M

66.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$254 MMK 532.4K

149.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$788 MMK 1.7M

199.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$507 MMK 1.1M

213.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.40%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mawlamyine: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Mawlamyine

$118 18.2% 61.7% $191

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Mawlamyine

$131 * 20.1% 44.3% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Mawlamyine

$44 * 6.8% 59.3% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Mawlamyine

$150 23.2% 59.3% $56

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Mawlamyine

$47 * 7.3% 39% $30

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Mawlamyine

$21 * 3.2% 66% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Mawlamyine

$138 21.3% 175% $88

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $251 in Mawlamyine. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇲 Mawlamyine

🕒 Local time

09:16 9:16 AM

08:46 8:46 AM

30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

300,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.29 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MMK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,331 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.29 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Chiang Mai Mawlamyine 290 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 Mawlamyine: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 44% more than Mawlamyine, 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 $974 in Mawlamyine. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mawlamyine, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $251 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $650 in Mawlamyine. That makes Mawlamyine about 31% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 80% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

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