Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Quy Nhon City

For one person, living is cheaper in Quy Nhon City: $695 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Quy Nhon City
Learn more

Quy Nhon City Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Quy Nhon City

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$695

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Quy Nhon City

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 Quy Nhon City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $695 in Quy Nhon City, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Quy Nhon City $695

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,066 in Quy Nhon City, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Quy Nhon City $1,066

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,437 in Quy Nhon City, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Quy Nhon City $1,437

Chiang Mai costs about 33% more than Quy Nhon City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Quy Nhon City are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Quy Nhon City 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$1.87 ₫48.5K

22.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$19.40 ₫502.4K

1.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.16 ₫185.4K

-21.65%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.47 ₫38.1K

12.93%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.72 ₫18.7K

-2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.50 ₫13.0K

-38.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$0.95 ₫24.7K

153.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$1.13 ₫29.3K

228.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.55 ₫40.2K

25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.78 ₫20.2K

80.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.03 ₫26.6K

27.18%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.66 ₫43.0K

31.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$12.12 ₫313.8K

37.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.70 ₫95.8K

-25.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$11.97 ₫310.0K

-23.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$3.15 ₫81.7K

-24.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.78 ₫20.3K

32.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.39 ₫35.9K

17.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.85 ₫22.0K

76.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.93 ₫24.2K

38.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.75 ₫19.5K

48.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.62 ₫15.9K

16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.56 ₫14.5K

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$1.37 ₫35.5K

214.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$7.67 ₫198.5K

134.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.64 ₫16.7K

146.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$0.86 ₫22.4K

230.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.34 ₫8,770

152.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$6.66 ₫172.5K

700.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.78 ₫20.3K

55.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.56 ₫14.4K

1.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$2.14 ₫55.3K

9.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.91 ₫23.5K

58.24%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$33.2K ₫860.4M

-37.62%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$30.1K ₫780.5M

-11.10%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$77.4 ₫2.0M

-19.50%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$6.06 ₫156.9K

99.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$7.36 ₫190.5K

170.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$17.20 ₫445.3K

115.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$8.05 ₫208.5K

-53.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$3.34 ₫86.5K

94.61%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$186 ₫4.8M

326.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$12.3K ₫317.6M

20.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$46.71 ₫1.2M

15.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$26.78 ₫693.3K

-8.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$83.8 ₫2.2M

8.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$80.0 ₫2.1M

-11.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$291 ₫7.5M

56.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$207 ₫5.4M

43.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$481 ₫12.4M

88.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$357 ₫9.2M

55.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,221 ₫57.5M

-13.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,195 ₫30.9M

20.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$307 ₫7.9M

92.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.28

-32.73%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Quy Nhon City: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Quy Nhon City

$207 29.8% 30.4% $91

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Quy Nhon City

$189 27.2% 19.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Quy Nhon City

$107 15.4% 1.3% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Quy Nhon City

$91 13.1% 3.7% $3.5

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Quy Nhon City

$66 9.5% 16% $13

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Quy Nhon City

$12 1.7% 80.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Quy Nhon City

$24 3.4% 52.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $291 in Quy Nhon City. 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 93% 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 $19.00 in Quy Nhon City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $189 – making Quy Nhon City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇻🇳 Quy Nhon City

🕒 Local time

19:37 7:37 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

519,208

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Quy Nhon City 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Quy Nhon City

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 Quy Nhon City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 33% more than Quy Nhon City, 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 $1,043 in Quy Nhon City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quy Nhon City, 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 $186 in Quy Nhon City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quy Nhon City, where all-in costs run around $695, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Quy Nhon City 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. Quy Nhon City costs $695 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 Quy Nhon City. 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.