Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Rui'an Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Rui'an

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $727 in Rui'an, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,126 in Rui'an, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,525 in Rui'an, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Rui'an, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Rui'an are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Rui'an 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$2.82 ¥19.13

-31.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$21.52 ¥146

-13.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$4.88 ¥33.09

60.25%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$2.97 ¥20.10

-34.34%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.44 ¥2.98

93.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.27 ¥1.81

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$0.95 ¥6.42

124.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.15 ¥14.57

73.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$1.81 ¥12.27

-5.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$1.57 ¥10.61

3.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$0.90 ¥6.07

26.67%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$1.58 ¥10.71

22.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$13.09 ¥88.7

23.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.28 ¥22.21

-4.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$10.24 ¥69.4

6.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$1.89 ¥12.81

45.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$1.25 ¥8.49

-3.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.55 ¥10.47

4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.10 ¥7.45

44.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$0.75 ¥5.09

86.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$0.89 ¥5.99

31.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$0.60 ¥4.10

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.55 ¥3.70

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$3.11 ¥21.09

50.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$10.40 ¥70.5

79.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$0.79 ¥5.34

127.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.60 ¥10.81

101.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.27 ¥1.82

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$17.00 ¥115

13.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$1.35 ¥9.17

4.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$0.33 ¥2.22

290.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$6.55 ¥44.37

19.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$1.16 ¥7.87

9.48%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$19.0K ¥128.9K

11.76%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$17.2K ¥116.2K

29.43%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$45.40 ¥307

52.14%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$9.85 ¥66.7

42.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$11.90 ¥80.6

51.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$41.09 ¥278

-0.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$13.86 ¥93.9

-49.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$5.93 ¥40.18

-0.17%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$339 ¥2,297

-11.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$17.1K ¥115.6K

-12.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$43.55 ¥295

25.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$30.92 ¥209

-13.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$72.2 ¥489

17.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$72.1 ¥489

-2.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$274 ¥1,858

56.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$190 ¥1,284

25.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$592 ¥4,010

35.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$357 ¥2,420

44.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$3,084 ¥20.9K

-35.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$2,017 ¥13.7K

-26.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

28.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Rui'an: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $274 in Rui'an. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $22.00 in Rui'an. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Chiang Mai vs $200 in Rui'an – so Rui'an wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Rui'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Rui'an, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,091 in Rui'an. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rui'an, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $299 per month in Chiang Mai and $339 in Rui'an. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $727 in Rui'an, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rui'an costs $727 versus $866 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 Rui'an. 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.