Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Prachuap Khiri Khan

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,019 in Prachuap Khiri Khan, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Prachuap Khiri Khan
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,019
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Prachuap Khiri Khan

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 Prachuap Khiri Khan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,019 in Prachuap Khiri Khan, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Prachuap Khiri Khan $1,019

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,663 in Prachuap Khiri Khan, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Prachuap Khiri Khan $1,663

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,307 in Prachuap Khiri Khan, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Prachuap Khiri Khan $2,307

Chiang Mai is about 8% cheaper than Prachuap Khiri Khan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Prachuap Khiri Khan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Prachuap Khiri Khan 25% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Prachuap Khiri Khan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.7
$1.21 ฿40.87
85.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿642
$36.43 ฿1,230
-47.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿188
$7.24 ฿245
-23.34%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.6
$2.82 ฿95.1
-40.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.56
$0.47 ฿15.85
36.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.32
$0.20 ฿6.74
55.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$2.61 ฿88.3
-9.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$4.34 ฿147
-15.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Prachuap Khiri Khan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$1.83 ฿61.7
6.56%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.51
$1.48 ฿49.83
-2.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.07
$1.39 ฿46.95
-4.32%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$2.58 ฿87.0
-11.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿556
$17.39 ฿587
-5.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$3.58 ฿121
-22.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$13.08 ฿442
-28.82%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.5
$3.74 ฿126
-37.17%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.82
$1.77 ฿59.7
-45.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$2.69 ฿90.9
-40.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$1.88 ฿63.4
-20.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.15
$1.72 ฿58.0
-25.58%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.22
$1.55 ฿52.4
-29.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.84
$1.23 ฿41.43
-42.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.38
$0.51 ฿17.18
-3.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$4.90 ฿166
-15.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿592
$14.64 ฿494
19.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$1.76 ฿59.4
-8.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$3.22 ฿109
-13.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Prachuap Khiri Khan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.33
$0.93 ฿31.47
-6.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,827
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.08
$1.02 ฿34.45
13.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.82
$1.21 ฿40.99
-56.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$6.11 ฿206
-60.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$1.36 ฿45.87
6.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿711.2K
$31.7K ฿1.1M
-33.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.8K
$27.0K ฿912.3K
-0.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Prachuap Khiri Khan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,100
$106 ฿3,575
-41.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$14.63 ฿494
-16.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿680
$17.87 ฿603
12.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Prachuap Khiri Khan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,260
$46.75 ฿1,579
-20.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$13.48 ฿455
-72.03%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$7.46 ฿252
-13.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Prachuap Khiri Khan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.9K
$565 ฿19.1K
30.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.6K
$16.8K ฿568.1K
-12.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Prachuap Khiri Khan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,802
$70.7 ฿2,388
-24.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿832
$42.45 ฿1,433
-41.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,089
$97.7 ฿3,299
-6.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,429
$106 ฿3,565
-31.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Prachuap Khiri Khan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$426 ฿14.4K
13.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$305 ฿10.3K
1.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿34.0K
$1,134 ฿38.3K
-11.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$702 ฿23.7K
-9.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
$1,950 ฿65.8K
21.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.7K
$1,437 ฿48.5K
10.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Prachuap Khiri Khan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$392 ฿13.2K
50.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5
11.40%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Prachuap Khiri Khan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Prachuap Khiri Khan
$305 1.3% $4
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Prachuap Khiri Khan
$272 15.8% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Prachuap Khiri Khan
$142 31.1% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Prachuap Khiri Khan
$138 46.5% $44
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Prachuap Khiri Khan
$90 15.5% $12
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Prachuap Khiri Khan
$11 * 82.4% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Prachuap Khiri Khan
$62 22.7% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $426 in Prachuap Khiri Khan. 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 50% 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 $36 in Prachuap Khiri Khan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $272 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Prachuap Khiri Khan
🕒 Local time
04:37 4:37 AM
04:37 4:37 AM
Same time as Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
26,926
💱 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Prachuap Khiri Khan 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Prachuap Khiri Khan

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 Prachuap Khiri Khan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Prachuap Khiri Khan?
Prachuap Khiri Khan costs about 9% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Prachuap Khiri Khan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,529 in Prachuap Khiri Khan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Prachuap Khiri Khan?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Prachuap Khiri Khan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $426 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do dining costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Prachuap Khiri Khan?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $36 in Prachuap Khiri Khan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Prachuap Khiri Khan?
Groceries cost about 16% more in Prachuap Khiri Khan, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Prachuap Khiri Khan?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,019 in Prachuap Khiri Khan. 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 Prachuap Khiri Khan?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,019 in Prachuap Khiri Khan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Prachuap Khiri Khan?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

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