Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nong Khai

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Nong Khai: $925 and $918 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Nong Khai
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Nong Khai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Nong Khai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Nong Khai

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $918 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Nong Khai $918

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,472 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Nong Khai $1,472

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,026 in Nong Khai, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Nong Khai $2,026

Chiang Mai costs about 1% more than Nong Khai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Nong Khai are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Nong Khai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$3.03 ฿101

-24.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$24.24 ฿810

-18.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.94 ฿265

-29.35%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.94 ฿64.9

-14.43%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.65 ฿21.61

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.34 ฿11.34

-8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.92 ฿64.1

25.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.24 ฿108

14.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.81 ฿60.4

7.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.41 ฿47.15

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.40 ฿46.88

-6.43%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.98 ฿66.0

10.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$17.41 ฿582

-4.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.66 ฿89.0

3.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$10.93 ฿365

-16.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.72 ฿91.0

-12.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.99 ฿33.06

4.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.22 ฿74.1

-26.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.83 ฿61.1

-18.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.52 ฿50.9

-15.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.19 ฿39.91

-6.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.13 ฿37.70

-36.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.49 ฿16.31

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.46 ฿149

-3.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$17.97 ฿600

-0.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.71 ฿57.2

-7.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.50 ฿83.5

13.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.88 ฿29.57

-2.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.11 ฿37.19

9.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.00 ฿33.56

-43.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$6.74 ฿225

-65.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.38 ฿46.27

4.35%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$22.6K ฿756.9K

-8.46%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$27.9K ฿932.6K

-3.96%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$78.5 ฿2,624

-20.62%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$9.94 ฿332

21.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$19.60 ฿655

1.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$47.18 ฿1,577

-21.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$14.48 ฿484

-73.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$7.07 ฿236

-8.06%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$515 ฿17.2K

53.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$9,737 ฿325.4K

52.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$51.2 ฿1,711

4.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$27.43 ฿917

-10.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$65.1 ฿2,175

39.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$82.1 ฿2,744

-13.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$387 ฿12.9K

17.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$297 ฿9,932

0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,157 ฿38.7K

-21.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$669 ฿22.4K

-17.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,170 ฿72.5K

-11.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,538 ฿51.4K

-6.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$452 ฿15.1K

30.66%

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: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nong Khai: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Nong Khai

$297 32.4% 0.2% $0.6

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Nong Khai

$248 27.1% 5.5% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Nong Khai

$102 11.1% 6.1% $6.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Nong Khai

$108 11.8% 14.5% $14

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Nong Khai

$91 10% 16.3% $13

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Nong Khai

$9.7 * 1.1% 84.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Nong Khai

$61 6.7% 22.5% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $387 in Nong Khai. 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 31% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $24.00 in Nong Khai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $248 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Nong Khai

🕒 Local time

23:31 11:31 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

35,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Chiang Mai Nong Khai 410 km

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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 Nong Khai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 1% more than Nong Khai, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,376 in Nong Khai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $24.00 in Nong Khai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nong Khai, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Nong Khai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nong Khai costs $918 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. 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 Nong Khai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.