Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Rayong

Name: Rayong
Address: Rayong, TH

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Rayong: $925 and $950 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Rayong
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Rayong Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Rayong

🇹🇭 Thailand

$950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $950 in Rayong, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Rayong $950

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,203 in Rayong, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Rayong $1,203

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,456 in Rayong, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Rayong $1,456

Chiang Mai is about 3% cheaper than Rayong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Rayong are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Rayong 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$3.04 ฿102

-24.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$17.58 ฿588

11.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.59 ฿254

-26.09%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.61 ฿53.7

3.11%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.51 ฿17.13

37.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.26 ฿8.58

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.78 ฿59.3

35.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.06 ฿102

21.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.84 ฿61.4

5.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.36 ฿45.38

3.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.35 ฿45.22

-2.96%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.62 ฿87.6

-16.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$17.45 ฿583

-4.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.90 ฿97.0

-4.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$12.82 ฿429

-28.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$3.25 ฿108

-26.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.81 ฿60.5

-43.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.17 ฿72.5

-24.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.91 ฿63.9

-21.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.77 ฿59.2

-27.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.57 ฿52.3

-29.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.27 ฿42.55

-43.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.49 ฿16.23

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.88 ฿163

-11.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$14.94 ฿499

20.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.75 ฿58.4

-9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$3.18 ฿106

-10.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.02 ฿34.01

18.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.17 ฿39.14

-51.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$6.14 ฿205

-61.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.36 ฿45.39

5.88%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.9K ฿1.0M

-32.88%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$27.0K ฿904.0K

-0.92%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$44.36 ฿1,482

40.51%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$14.73 ฿492

-17.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$12.11 ฿405

64.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$68.3 ฿2,284

-45.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$18.17 ฿607

-79.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$6.72 ฿225

-3.27%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$572 ฿19.1K

38.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$17.0K ฿569.2K

-13.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$71.5 ฿2,389

-24.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$42.48 ฿1,420

-42.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$101 ฿3,383

-10.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$107 ฿3,567

-33.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$415 ฿13.9K

9.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$298 ฿9,965

-0.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,981 ฿66.2K

-27.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$460 ฿15.4K

28.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Rayong: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Rayong

$298 31.4% 0.1% $0.3

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Rayong

$263 27.7% 11.6% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Rayong

$145 15.3% 33.9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Rayong

$71 7.5% 24.6% $23

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Rayong

$84 8.9% 7.4% $5.8

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Rayong

$6.9 * 0.7% 88.7% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Rayong

$82 8.6% 63.4% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $415 in Rayong. 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 28% 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 $18.00 in Rayong. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $263 in Rayong – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Rayong

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

63,565

💱 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 Rayong 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Rayong

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 Rayong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rayong costs about 3% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,425 in Rayong. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $18.00 in Rayong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Rayong, 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 Rayong at $950. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rayong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $950 in Rayong. 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, Rayong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.