Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Phetchabun

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Phetchabun: $935 and $939 a month, rent and utilities included.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Phetchabun, Thailand
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Phetchabun
🇹🇭 Thailand
$939
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $939 in Phetchabun, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $935
  • Phetchabun $939

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,531 in Phetchabun, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,467
  • Phetchabun $1,531

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,122 in Phetchabun, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,999
  • Phetchabun $2,122

Chiang Mai and Phetchabun have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Phetchabun
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.13 ฿72.0
$1.73 ฿58.3
23.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.62 ฿628
$26.25 ฿886
-29.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.60 ฿189
$6.30 ฿213
-11.11%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿56.1
$1.17 ฿39.59
41.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ฿21.83
$0.70 ฿23.58
-7.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ฿10.29
$0.21 ฿7.06
42.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.32 ฿78.4
$2.12 ฿71.6
9.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 ฿124
$2.93 ฿99.0
25.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Phetchabun
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 ฿68.0
$1.74 ฿58.7
16.09%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.51
$1.44 ฿48.45
-2.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ฿46.96
$1.23 ฿41.39
13.01%
Eggs
$2.37 ฿79.9
$2.09 ฿70.7
13.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.52 ฿557
$16.91 ฿571
-2.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.67 ฿90.1
$2.76 ฿93.2
-3.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.02 ฿304
$12.13 ฿409
-25.64%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.9
$2.81 ฿94.8
-14.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 ฿35.13
$1.22 ฿41.09
-14.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$2.09 ฿70.6
-20.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.6
$1.84 ฿62.1
-15.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.76
$1.32 ฿44.43
-6.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.66
$1.08 ฿36.59
0.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 ฿25.70
$1.16 ฿39.16
-34.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.35
$0.51 ฿17.22
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.12 ฿139
$4.28 ฿144
-3.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.93 ฿605
$17.52 ฿591
2.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ฿54.8
$1.65 ฿55.7
-1.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 ฿95.2
$2.78 ฿93.7
1.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Phetchabun
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 ฿31.53
$0.96 ฿32.23
-3.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.9 ฿1,785
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 ฿39.70
$1.07 ฿36.05
10.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 ฿5.79
$1.12 ฿37.63
-84.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 ฿61.1
$4.84 ฿163
-62.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.69
$1.45 ฿49.07
1.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ฿708.9K
$27.3K ฿922.5K
-23.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿894.6K
$23.2K ฿783.4K
14.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Phetchabun
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.6 ฿2,111
$81.8 ฿2,761
-23.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 ฿392
$11.26 ฿380
3.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.30 ฿685
$19.03 ฿642
6.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Phetchabun
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.88 ฿1,278
$50.7 ฿1,711
-25.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.70 ฿125
$14.52 ฿490
-74.52%
Cinema Ticket
$6.51 ฿220
$6.11 ฿206
6.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Phetchabun
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$727 ฿24.5K
$580 ฿19.6K
25.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K ฿559.2K
$15.0K ฿507.3K
10.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Phetchabun
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ฿1,807
$48.20 ฿1,626
11.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.80 ฿837
$30.12 ฿1,016
-17.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 ฿3,050
$82.7 ฿2,791
9.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.0 ฿2,428
$74.8 ฿2,522
-3.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Phetchabun
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$481 ฿16.2K
$464 ฿15.7K
3.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 ฿10.5K
$329 ฿11.1K
-5.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,058 ฿35.7K
$1,278 ฿43.1K
-17.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ฿22.2K
$778 ฿26.2K
-15.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,418 ฿81.6K
$1,995 ฿67.3K
21.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,609 ฿54.3K
$1,522 ฿51.4K
5.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Phetchabun
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿20.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
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 Phetchabun: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$310
Phetchabun
$329 6.3% $20
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$237
Phetchabun
$251 5.9% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Phetchabun
$106 2% $2.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Phetchabun
$112 18.7% $18
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$77
Phetchabun
$67 12.6% $9.6
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$59
Phetchabun
$10 * 82.2% $48
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Phetchabun
$63 23.7% $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 $464 in Phetchabun. 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 Phetchabun. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $251 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Phetchabun
🕒 Local time
03:16 3:16 AM
03:16 3:16 AM
Same time as Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
23,823
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Phetchabun 350 km
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Phetchabun

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 Phetchabun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Phetchabun?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,408 in Phetchabun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Chiang Mai compared to Phetchabun?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $481 in Chiang Mai and $464 in Phetchabun. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Phetchabun?
Groceries cost about 6% more in Phetchabun, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do dining costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Phetchabun?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $26 in Phetchabun. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Phetchabun?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $939 in Phetchabun. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiang Mai or Phetchabun?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $939 in Phetchabun. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Phetchabun?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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