Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Phuket $2,845

Chiang Mai is about 23% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$4.40 ฿147

-47.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$32.26 ฿1,078

-39.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$8.76 ฿293

-35.96%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.83 ฿94.5

-41.34%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.90 ฿30.14

-22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.47 ฿15.56

-34.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.55 ฿85.2

-5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.83 ฿128

-3.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.73 ฿57.7

12.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.47 ฿49.11

-4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.51 ฿50.6

-13.25%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.17 ฿72.7

0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$19.70 ฿658

-15.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.34 ฿112

-17.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$11.16 ฿373

-18.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.85 ฿95.1

-16.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.70 ฿56.9

-39.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.19 ฿73.3

-25.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$2.05 ฿68.4

-26.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.45 ฿48.57

-11.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.38 ฿46.16

-19.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.07 ฿35.69

-32.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.51 ฿16.91

3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.26 ฿142

1.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$18.58 ฿621

-3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.78 ฿59.7

-11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.85 ฿95.2

-0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$2.26 ฿75.6

-61.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$22.10 ฿738

141.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$3.01 ฿101

-59.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.06 ฿35.34

-46.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$3.86 ฿129

-39.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.45 ฿48.45

-0.69%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-21.26%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-0.53%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$96.4 ฿3,221

-35.33%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$11.04 ฿369

9.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$17.14 ฿573

16.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$52.2 ฿1,744

-28.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$11.16 ฿373

-66.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$7.81 ฿261

-16.77%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$556 ฿18.6K

42.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

27.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$64.2 ฿2,146

-16.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$28.69 ฿959

-14.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$95.4 ฿3,187

-4.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$88.0 ฿2,940

-19.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$737 ฿24.6K

-38.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$462 ฿15.5K

-35.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-56.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-53.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-44.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-42.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$501 ฿16.7K

18.01%

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 Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 55.2% $165

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 14.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 14.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 32% $30

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Phuket

$121 10% 54.3% $43

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 35.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 35.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $737 in Phuket. 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 18% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $269 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

19:59 7:59 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

79,308

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Phuket 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 31% 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,813 in Phuket. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $556 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,208 in Phuket. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.