Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Rangsit

For one person, living is cheaper in Rangsit: $857 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Rangsit
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Rangsit Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Rangsit

🇹🇭 Thailand

$857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $857 in Rangsit, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Rangsit $857

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,382 in Rangsit, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Rangsit $1,382

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,907 in Rangsit, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Rangsit $1,907

Chiang Mai costs about 9% more than Rangsit, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Rangsit are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Rangsit 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$3.30 ฿112

-32.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$22.38 ฿756

-15.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$4.57 ฿154

21.44%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.89 ฿63.7

-11.64%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.58 ฿19.54

10.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.29 ฿9.76

6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.04 ฿69.0

15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.94 ฿99.2

24.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.48 ฿50.1

31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.21 ฿40.82

19.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.22 ฿41.09

9.02%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.88 ฿63.4

21.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$12.32 ฿416

33.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.52 ฿85.1

10.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.97 ฿337

-6.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.59 ฿121

-34.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.96 ฿32.45

1.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.46 ฿83.1

-34.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.63 ฿55.2

-7.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.97 ฿66.5

-35.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.08 ฿36.53

1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.78 ฿26.24

-8.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.41 ฿14.00

19.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.51 ฿152

-8.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$14.03 ฿474

24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.62 ฿54.7

-0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.83 ฿61.7

51.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.86 ฿29.15

1.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.01 ฿34.17

14.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.60 ฿54.2

-66.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$6.00 ฿203

-59.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.44 ฿48.77

0.69%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$16.3K ฿549.4K

29.44%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$27.3K ฿922.6K

-1.39%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$84.2 ฿2,842

-26.13%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$9.28 ฿313

31.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$23.02 ฿777

-12.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$46.46 ฿1,569

-19.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$13.57 ฿458

-72.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.68 ฿226

-2.84%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$710 ฿24.0K

3.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$10.8K ฿366.4K

36.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$6.06 ฿205

780.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$35.92 ฿1,213

-31.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$70.4 ฿2,376

30.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$53.3 ฿1,801

34.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$435 ฿14.7K

10.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$295 ฿9,967

4.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,154 ฿39.0K

-12.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$690 ฿23.3K

-8.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,915 ฿64.7K

23.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,461 ฿49.3K

8.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.3

-11.59%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rangsit: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Rangsit

$295 34.4% 4.5% $14

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Rangsit

$216 25.3% 7.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Rangsit

$75 8.7% 31.4% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Rangsit

$116 13.6% 23.3% $22

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Rangsit

$82 9.6% 6.1% $4.8

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Rangsit

$12 * 1.5% 79.6% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Rangsit

$60 7% 19% $9.5

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 $435 in Rangsit. 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 $22 in Rangsit. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $216 in Rangsit – so Rangsit wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Rangsit

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

85,260

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Rangsit 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Rangsit

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 Rangsit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 9% more than Rangsit, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,286 in Rangsit. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rangsit, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $435 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $22 in Rangsit. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% 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.

Families tend to lean toward Rangsit – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.