Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Phnom Penh

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,083 in Phnom Penh, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phnom Penh outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Phnom Penh
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Phnom Penh Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Phnom Penh

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$1,083

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Phnom Penh

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,083 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Phnom Penh $1,083

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,778 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Phnom Penh $1,778

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,474 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Phnom Penh $2,474

Chiang Mai is about 14% cheaper than Phnom Penh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Phnom Penh are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Phnom Penh 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$4.55 ៛18.6K

-50.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$40.42 ៛164.9K

-52.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.01 ៛28.6K

-20.83%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.84 ៛11.6K

-41.20%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.72 ៛7,011

-62.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.67 ៛2,731

-53.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.03 ៛4,193

129.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.05 ៛12.4K

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.28 ៛9,297

-14.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.60 ៛6,546

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.07 ៛4,384

24.30%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.82 ៛7,439

25.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$14.70 ៛60.0K

11.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.45 ៛18.2K

-37.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.63 ៛39.3K

-3.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$4.14 ៛16.9K

-43.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.70 ៛6,958

-42.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$4.49 ៛18.3K

-64.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$2.02 ៛8,230

-25.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.72 ៛7,008

-25.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.26 ៛5,133

-12.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.39 ៛5,667

-48.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.77 ៛3,151

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.95 ៛7,944

112.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$11.14 ៛45.5K

57.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.01 ៛4,128

59.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.79 ៛7,306

55.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.38 ៛1,562

128.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$9.88 ៛40.3K

447.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.10 ៛4,470

5.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.01 ៛4,132

-47.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$5.02 ៛20.5K

-51.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.36 ៛5,561

6.62%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$34.8K ៛142.1M

-39.50%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$44.6K ៛182.2M

-39.65%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$118 ៛482.5K

-47.42%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$7.32 ៛29.9K

66.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$25.26 ៛103.1K

-20.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$37.94 ៛154.8K

-1.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$11.05 ៛45.1K

-65.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.09 ៛20.8K

27.50%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$597 ៛2.4M

23.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$11.1K ៛45.4M

32.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$28.17 ៛114.9K

89.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$24.25 ៛99.0K

1.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$90.2 ៛368.0K

1.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$58.1 ៛236.9K

23.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$658 ៛2.7M

-26.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$406 ៛1.7M

-23.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,441 ៛5.9M

-30.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$950 ៛3.9M

-33.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,710 ៛11.1M

-12.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,523 ៛6.2M

4.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$315 ៛1.3M

87.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.94

-29.85%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phnom Penh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Phnom Penh

$406 37.5% 31.4% $97

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Phnom Penh

$258 23.8% 10.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Phnom Penh

$90 8.3% 16.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Phnom Penh

$151 13.9% 59.7% $56

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Phnom Penh

$112 10.4% 44.7% $35

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Phnom Penh

$18 1.6% 71.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Phnom Penh

$48 4.4% 4.3% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $658 in Phnom Penh. 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 87% 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 $40 in Phnom Penh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $258 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇭 Phnom Penh

🕒 Local time

23:07 11:07 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,009,264 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 KHR = 2.45 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KHR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,081 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.45 USD). 1 EUR = 4,542 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Phnom Penh 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Phnom Penh

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 Phnom Penh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phnom Penh costs about 16% 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 $1,625 in Phnom Penh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $658 in Phnom Penh.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $597 in Phnom Penh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Phnom Penh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,083 in Phnom Penh. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,083 in Phnom Penh. 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.