Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Samut Prakan

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Samut Prakan: $925 and $886 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Samut Prakan
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Samut Prakan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Samut Prakan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Samut Prakan

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $886 in Samut Prakan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Samut Prakan $886

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,378 in Samut Prakan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Samut Prakan $1,378

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,869 in Samut Prakan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Samut Prakan $1,869

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Samut Prakan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Samut Prakan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Samut Prakan 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$3.30 ฿110

-30.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$15.12 ฿505

29.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.48 ฿250

-25.00%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.38 ฿46.13

20.29%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.52 ฿17.54

34.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.26 ฿8.77

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.02 ฿67.6

19.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.92 ฿97.4

27.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.46 ฿48.92

33.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.98 ฿32.62

43.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.88 ฿29.34

48.86%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.84 ฿61.5

18.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$12.31 ฿411

35.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.49 ฿83.1

10.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$10.20 ฿341

-10.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.84 ฿61.5

29.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.77 ฿25.67

33.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.31 ฿43.68

24.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.21 ฿40.59

23.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.52 ฿50.7

-15.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.77 ฿25.78

44.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.78 ฿25.99

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.45 ฿15.01

17.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.50 ฿151

-4.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$9.10 ฿304

97.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.03 ฿34.32

53.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.89 ฿63.2

50.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.51 ฿16.95

68.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.74 ฿58.1

-30.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.61 ฿53.7

-64.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$5.85 ฿196

-59.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.07 ฿35.84

34.58%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$12.1K ฿405.1K

71.00%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$24.3K ฿811.4K

10.38%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$83.1 ฿2,776

-24.97%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$9.40 ฿314

28.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$16.35 ฿547

21.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$47.72 ฿1,595

-22.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$15.06 ฿503

-74.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$6.41 ฿214

1.40%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$148 ฿4,933

437.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$5,950 ฿198.9K

148.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$15.09 ฿504

256.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$35.66 ฿1,192

-30.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$70.9 ฿2,369

28.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$120 ฿4,004

-40.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$478 ฿16.0K

-4.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$330 ฿11.0K

-9.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,147 ฿38.3K

-20.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$691 ฿23.1K

-19.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,726 ฿57.7K

11.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,607 ฿53.7K

-10.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$671 ฿22.4K

-11.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

85.67%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Samut Prakan

$330 37.2% 10.7% $32

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Samut Prakan

$182 20.5% 22.7% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Samut Prakan

$109 12.3% 0.4% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Samut Prakan

$109 12.3% 15.3% $14

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Samut Prakan

$84 9.5% 7.5% $5.9

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Samut Prakan

$12 * 1.3% 80.6% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Samut Prakan

$61 6.8% 20.9% $10

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 $478 in Samut Prakan. 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 14% higher in Samut Prakan, 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 $15.00 in Samut Prakan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $182 – making Samut Prakan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Samut Prakan

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

50,843

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Samut Prakan 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Samut Prakan

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 Samut Prakan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Samut Prakan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,329 in Samut Prakan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samut Prakan, 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 $15.00 in Samut Prakan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Samut Prakan, where all-in costs run around $886, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Samut Prakan 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. Samut Prakan costs $886 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 Samut Prakan. 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.