Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nakhon Ratchasima

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima: $776 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Nakhon Ratchasima
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Nakhon Ratchasima Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Nakhon Ratchasima

🇹🇭 Thailand

$776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Nakhon Ratchasima

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $776 in Nakhon Ratchasima, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Nakhon Ratchasima $776

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,277 in Nakhon Ratchasima, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,277

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,778 in Nakhon Ratchasima, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,778

Chiang Mai costs about 20% more than Nakhon Ratchasima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Nakhon Ratchasima are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Nakhon Ratchasima 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$2.93 ฿98.9

-23.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$25.99 ฿876

-26.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.20 ฿209

-10.48%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$1.97 ฿66.5

-15.23%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.52 ฿17.67

23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.31 ฿10.47

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.73 ฿58.4

36.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$2.69 ฿90.7

36.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.59 ฿53.7

22.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$1.26 ฿42.41

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.22 ฿41.15

9.02%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.44 ฿48.60

58.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$15.42 ฿520

6.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.65 ฿89.4

4.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.93 ฿335

-6.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$3.12 ฿105

-24.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.21 ฿40.84

-19.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.92 ฿64.8

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.87 ฿63.1

-19.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.24 ฿41.80

3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.02 ฿34.38

7.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$1.22 ฿41.23

-41.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.38 ฿12.68

28.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.79 ฿94.2

48.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$17.54 ฿591

-0.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.67 ฿56.2

-3.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.90 ฿97.8

-4.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.46 ฿15.55

89.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$19.30 ฿650

180.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.05 ฿35.47

10.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$1.12 ฿37.87

-52.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$7.34 ฿248

-67.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.40 ฿47.08

3.57%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$44.6K ฿1.5M

-52.83%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$26.7K ฿899.3K

0.95%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$87.2 ฿2,937

-28.67%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$11.55 ฿389

5.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$19.04 ฿642

5.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$46.52 ฿1,568

-19.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$14.78 ฿498

-74.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.72 ฿159

37.50%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$178 ฿5,996

313.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$14.4K ฿486.9K

2.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$51.3 ฿1,728

4.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$28.82 ฿971

-14.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$76.4 ฿2,576

19.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$67.6 ฿2,279

6.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$222 ฿7,464

117.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$158 ฿5,329

95.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$481 ฿16.2K

109.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$429 ฿14.5K

47.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$3,407 ฿114.8K

-30.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,712 ฿57.7K

-7.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$602 ฿20.3K

-1.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.1

9.22%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$158 20.4% 48.8% $151

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$233 30% 0.7% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$101 13% 7.2% $7.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$118 15.2% 24.7% $23

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$83 10.7% 7.2% $5.6

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$28 3.6% 54.7% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$56 7.2% 11.3% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $222 in Nakhon Ratchasima. 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 Nakhon Ratchasima. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $233 in Nakhon Ratchasima – so Nakhon Ratchasima wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Nakhon Ratchasima

🕒 Local time

11:42 11:42 AM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

126,391

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Nakhon Ratchasima 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Nakhon Ratchasima

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 Nakhon Ratchasima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 20% more than Nakhon Ratchasima, 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 $1,165 in Nakhon Ratchasima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $222 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

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

Public transport costs about 64% less in Nakhon Ratchasima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $776 in Nakhon Ratchasima, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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