Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nakhon Si Thammarat

Name: Nakhon Si Thammarat
Address: Nakhon Si Thammarat, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,020 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 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 Si Thammarat
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Nakhon Si Thammarat Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Nakhon Si Thammarat

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Nakhon Si Thammarat

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,020 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Nakhon Si Thammarat $1,020

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,680 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Nakhon Si Thammarat $1,680

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,341 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Nakhon Si Thammarat $2,341

Chiang Mai is about 8% cheaper than Nakhon Si Thammarat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Nakhon Si Thammarat are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Nakhon Si Thammarat 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$2.94 ฿99.0

-27.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$32.46 ฿1,091

-42.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$8.50 ฿286

-34.12%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.80 ฿94.3

-40.71%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$0.94 ฿31.77

-30.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.51 ฿16.98

-41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$2.58 ฿86.8

-10.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.81 ฿128

-3.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.65 ฿55.6

22.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$1.40 ฿46.92

0.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$1.56 ฿52.4

-10.90%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$2.17 ฿72.9

9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$19.37 ฿651

-14.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$3.36 ฿113

-20.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$11.11 ฿374

-18.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$2.88 ฿96.8

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$1.61 ฿54.1

-35.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$2.30 ฿77.4

-27.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$2.07 ฿69.7

-24.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$1.50 ฿50.4

-17.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$1.38 ฿46.37

-21.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$1.10 ฿37.13

-30.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.51 ฿17.05

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$4.40 ฿148

-6.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$18.59 ฿625

-3.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$1.74 ฿58.6

-6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$2.86 ฿96.2

-1.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$0.76 ฿25.45

22.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$1.49 ฿50.3

-20.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.71 ฿23.89

-76.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$3.71 ฿125

-51.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$1.47 ฿49.48

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$26.2K ฿879.7K

-19.70%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$27.2K ฿915.6K

-2.64%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$97.4 ฿3,275

-35.77%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$11.23 ฿377

3.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$17.19 ฿578

18.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$48.13 ฿1,618

-21.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$11.52 ฿387

-67.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$7.36 ฿247

-11.55%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$528 ฿17.7K

37.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$18.3K ฿616.0K

-9.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$64.1 ฿2,154

-16.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$28.09 ฿944

-11.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$97.1 ฿3,266

-6.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$88.5 ฿2,975

-18.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$419 ฿14.1K

14.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$323 ฿10.9K

-4.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$1,300 ฿43.7K

-18.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$800 ฿26.9K

-17.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$2,173 ฿73.0K

11.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$1,871 ฿62.9K

-14.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Si Thammarat: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$323 31.7% 4.2% $13

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$267 26.1% 12.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$125 12.3% 15.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$126 12.3% 33.2% $31

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$109 10.7% 42.4% $32

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$8.1 * 0.8% 86.2% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$63 6.2% 23.5% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $419 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. 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 $32 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $267 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Nakhon Si Thammarat

🕒 Local time

23:55 11:55 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

102,152

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Nakhon Si Thammarat 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Nakhon Si Thammarat

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 Si Thammarat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nakhon Si Thammarat costs about 9% 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,531 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nakhon Si Thammarat, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $419 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $32 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Nakhon Si Thammarat, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,020 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,020 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. 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.