Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sakon Nakhon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakon Nakhon: $896 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $480 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 Sakon Nakhon
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Sakon Nakhon Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Sakon Nakhon

🇹🇭 Thailand

$896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Sakon Nakhon

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $896 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Sakon Nakhon $896

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,416 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Sakon Nakhon $1,416

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,937 in Sakon Nakhon, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Sakon Nakhon $1,937

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Sakon Nakhon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Sakon Nakhon are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Sakon Nakhon 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$1.46 ฿49.20

53.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$14.98 ฿505

26.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$2.89 ฿97.5

92.04%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$1.46 ฿49.23

14.38%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.73 ฿24.55

-12.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.25 ฿8.38

24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.01 ฿67.9

17.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$2.12 ฿71.5

72.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.38 ฿80.1

-18.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$1.28 ฿43.15

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.21 ฿40.73

9.92%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.10 ฿70.7

8.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$10.51 ฿354

56.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.48 ฿83.7

12.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.38 ฿350

-10.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$3.11 ฿105

-24.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.16 ฿39.24

-16.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$2.13 ฿71.9

-24.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.86 ฿62.8

-19.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.46 ฿49.20

-12.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.45 ฿48.72

-24.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.54 ฿18.25

31.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.51 ฿17.10

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.35 ฿147

-4.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$17.49 ฿589

0.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.66 ฿56.0

-3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.76 ฿93.0

0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.87 ฿29.25

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.46 ฿49.31

-20.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$1.10 ฿37.19

-51.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$5.36 ฿181

-54.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.26 ฿42.54

15.08%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$26.3K ฿887.7K

-20.05%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$27.4K ฿921.7K

-1.50%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$83.2 ฿2,803

-25.26%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$10.13 ฿342

20.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$15.68 ฿528

28.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$48.92 ฿1,649

-23.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$12.06 ฿407

-68.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.54 ฿119

83.33%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$660 ฿22.2K

11.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$11.0K ฿370.3K

34.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$19.47 ฿656

174.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$6.67 ฿225

269.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$118 ฿3,988

-22.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$74.1 ฿2,497

-2.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$410 ฿13.8K

17.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$336 ฿11.3K

-8.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,219 ฿41.1K

-17.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$752 ฿25.4K

-15.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$2,173 ฿73.2K

8.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,814 ฿61.1K

-12.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$741 ฿25.0K

-20.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sakon Nakhon: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Sakon Nakhon

$336 37.5% 8.8% $27

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Sakon Nakhon

$230 25.6% 2% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Sakon Nakhon

$98 11% 9.5% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Sakon Nakhon

$109 12.2% 15.4% $15

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Sakon Nakhon

$56 6.3% 27.7% $21

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sakon Nakhon

$10 * 1.2% 83% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sakon Nakhon

$56 6.3% 11.4% $5.7

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 $410 in Sakon Nakhon. 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 26% higher in Sakon Nakhon, 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 $15 in Sakon Nakhon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $230 – making Sakon Nakhon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Sakon Nakhon

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

53,100

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Sakon Nakhon 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sakon Nakhon

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 Sakon Nakhon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Sakon Nakhon, 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 $1,343 in Sakon Nakhon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sakon Nakhon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $410 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $896 in Sakon Nakhon. That makes Sakon Nakhon about 4% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $15 in Sakon Nakhon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $896 in Sakon Nakhon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.