Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nakhon Sawan

Name: Nakhon Sawan
Address: Nakhon Sawan, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,044 in Nakhon Sawan, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Nakhon Sawan
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Nakhon Sawan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Nakhon Sawan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,044

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,044 in Nakhon Sawan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Nakhon Sawan $1,044

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,620 in Nakhon Sawan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Nakhon Sawan $1,620

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,196 in Nakhon Sawan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Nakhon Sawan $2,196

Chiang Mai is about 10% cheaper than Nakhon Sawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Nakhon Sawan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Nakhon Sawan 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.94 ฿99.3

-23.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$35.47 ฿1,197

-46.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.97 ฿201

-7.04%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.83 ฿95.4

-40.99%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.67 ฿22.49

-4.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.32 ฿10.93

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.67 ฿90.2

-11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.55 ฿154

-19.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.89 ฿63.6

3.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$1.48 ฿49.90

-2.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.39 ฿46.88

-4.32%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.67 ฿56.4

36.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$17.17 ฿579

-4.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.50 ฿118

-20.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$12.82 ฿432

-27.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.83 ฿129

-38.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$0.71 ฿23.95

36.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.66 ฿89.6

-39.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.91 ฿64.4

-21.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$1.20 ฿40.53

6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$1.21 ฿40.93

-9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.82 ฿27.68

-13.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.48 ฿16.04

2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.73 ฿92.0

51.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$14.65 ฿494

19.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.58 ฿53.4

1.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.32 ฿112

-16.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.93 ฿31.22

-6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$1.03 ฿34.65

12.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.15 ฿38.64

-53.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$6.08 ฿205

-60.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.26 ฿42.37

15.08%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$31.3K ฿1.1M

-32.79%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$27.2K ฿918.9K

-1.08%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$107 ฿3,606

-41.83%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$12.68 ฿428

-4.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$17.53 ฿591

14.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$49.36 ฿1,665

-24.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$13.51 ฿456

-72.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.62 ฿257

-14.83%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$794 ฿26.8K

-7.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$16.8K ฿567.1K

-12.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$69.4 ฿2,341

-23.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$42.62 ฿1,438

-42.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$99.7 ฿3,363

-8.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$103 ฿3,481

-30.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$481 ฿16.2K

0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$332 ฿11.2K

-7.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,318 ฿44.5K

-23.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$608 ฿20.5K

4.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$2,147 ฿72.4K

10.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,943 ฿65.5K

-18.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$474 ฿16.0K

24.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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 Sawan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Nakhon Sawan

$332 31.9% 7.6% $24

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Nakhon Sawan

$256 24.5% 9.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Nakhon Sawan

$142 13.6% 30.4% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Nakhon Sawan

$137 13.1% 45.1% $43

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Nakhon Sawan

$102 9.8% 31.2% $24

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Nakhon Sawan

$10 * 1% 83% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Nakhon Sawan

$65 6.2% 28.5% $14

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 $481 in Nakhon Sawan. 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 24% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $35 in Nakhon Sawan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $256 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Nakhon Sawan

🕒 Local time

23:19 11:19 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

82,305

💱 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

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Chiang Mai Nakhon Sawan 360 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 Nakhon Sawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nakhon Sawan costs about 12% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $1,566 in Nakhon Sawan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $481 in Nakhon Sawan. 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 $35 in Nakhon Sawan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Nakhon Sawan, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,044 in Nakhon Sawan. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,044 in Nakhon Sawan. 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.