Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Most

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,628 in Most, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Most
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Most Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Most

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,628 in Most, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Most $1,628

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,323 in Most, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Most $2,323

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,017 in Most, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Most $3,017

Chiang Mai is about 43% cheaper than Most, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Most is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$9.00 Kč 195

-74.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$45.74 Kč 989

-57.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$9.38 Kč 203

-40.19%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.77 Kč 60.0

-40.07%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.17 Kč 25.38

-40.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.30 Kč 28.02

-76.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.40 Kč 30.20

72.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.70 Kč 58.3

37.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.03 Kč 22.17

89.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.45 Kč 31.37

-2.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$2.33 Kč 50.3

-43.78%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.63 Kč 78.5

-39.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$12.77 Kč 276

30.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$8.77 Kč 190

-68.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$16.71 Kč 361

-45.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.86 Kč 40.18

28.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.70 Kč 36.78

-39.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.13 Kč 46.17

-23.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.95 Kč 42.18

-23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.07 Kč 23.07

20.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.05 Kč 22.76

5.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.59 Kč 34.39

-54.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.77 Kč 16.67

-31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$6.73 Kč 146

-35.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$6.76 Kč 146

165.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.95 Kč 20.55

66.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.70 Kč 36.84

67.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.12 Kč 24.19

-23.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$24.80 Kč 536

114.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$2.73 Kč 59.0

-55.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.82 Kč 39.29

-68.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$16.44 Kč 356

-85.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.65 Kč 35.76

-12.73%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.6K Kč 662.4K

-32.32%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$29.4K Kč 636.5K

-8.94%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$300 Kč 6,490

-79.23%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$22.61 Kč 489

-46.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$19.14 Kč 414

4.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$55.1 Kč 1,192

-32.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$17.50 Kč 378

-78.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$6.91 Kč 150

-5.93%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$750 Kč 16.2K

5.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$11.4K Kč 246.8K

29.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$87.0 Kč 1,882

-38.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$36.73 Kč 794

-32.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$103 Kč 2,227

-11.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$123 Kč 2,654

-42.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$706 Kč 15.3K

-35.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$602 Kč 13.0K

-50.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,175 Kč 25.4K

-22.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$905 Kč 19.6K

-38.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$4,532 Kč 98.0K

-57.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$3,462 Kč 74.9K

-58.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$1,136 Kč 24.6K

-47.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.67

19.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Most: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Most

$602 37% 102% $304

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Most

$261 16.1% 10.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Most

$157 9.7% 45.4% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Most

$342 21% 262% $247

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Most

$156 9.6% 98.1% $77

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Most

$41 2.5% 32.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Most

$69 4.2% 37.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $706 in Most. 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 92% higher in Most, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $46.00 in Most. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $261 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇿 Most

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

16:23 4:23 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

68,280

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 CZK = 4.62 USD

100 CZK = 4.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CZK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 21.63 CZK (100 CZK = 4.62 USD). 1 EUR = 24.31 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Most 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Most

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 Most: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Most costs about 76% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,442 in Most. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $750 in Most. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Most, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Most at $1,628. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Most it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,628 in Most. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Most makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.