Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Saraburi

For one person, living is cheaper in Saraburi: $782 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Saraburi
Learn more

Saraburi Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Saraburi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $782 in Saraburi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Saraburi $782

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,419 in Saraburi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Saraburi $1,419

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,056 in Saraburi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Saraburi $2,056

Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Saraburi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Saraburi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Saraburi 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$6.17 ฿206

-62.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$26.93 ฿900

-27.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$6.43 ฿215

-12.75%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.28 ฿76.2

-27.19%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.66 ฿22.15

6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.24 ฿7.99

29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.99 ฿66.6

21.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.17 ฿106

17.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.51 ฿50.3

29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.12 ฿37.35

25.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.33 ฿44.47

-1.50%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.96 ฿65.5

11.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$16.86 ฿563

-1.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.57 ฿86.0

7.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$9.89 ฿331

-7.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$5.15 ฿172

-53.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.70 ฿56.7

-39.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.08 ฿69.4

-21.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.90 ฿63.5

-21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.50 ฿50.1

-14.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.07 ฿35.81

3.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.12 ฿37.51

-35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.49 ฿16.38

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.43 ฿148

-2.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$21.05 ฿703

-14.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.66 ฿55.4

-4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.80 ฿93.5

1.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.90 ฿30.05

-4.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.05 ฿34.98

15.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.16 ฿38.75

-50.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$6.03 ฿202

-61.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.39 ฿46.57

3.60%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$22.9K ฿765.9K

-9.54%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$28.8K ฿962.3K

-6.92%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$81.9 ฿2,737

-23.90%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$11.58 ฿387

4.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$16.63 ฿556

19.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$42.66 ฿1,426

-13.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$14.23 ฿476

-73.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$6.73 ฿225

-3.42%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$581 ฿19.4K

36.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$6,594 ฿220.4K

124.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$51.2 ฿1,712

4.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$29.84 ฿997

-17.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$77.0 ฿2,572

18.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$77.5 ฿2,589

-8.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$428 ฿14.3K

6.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$124 ฿4,154

139.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,169 ฿39.1K

-22.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$602 ฿20.1K

-7.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,682 ฿56.2K

14.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,662 ฿55.6K

-13.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$453 ฿15.1K

30.37%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Saraburi: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Saraburi

$124 15.9% 58.3% $174

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Saraburi

$259 33.2% 10.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Saraburi

$106 13.6% 2% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Saraburi

$110 14.1% 16.7% $16

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Saraburi

$116 14.8% 47.5% $37

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Saraburi

$10 * 1.3% 82.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Saraburi

$56 7.2% 12.1% $6.1

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 $428 in Saraburi. 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 30% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $27.00 in Saraburi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $259 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Saraburi

🕒 Local time

23:23 11:23 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

61,900

💱 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 Saraburi 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Saraburi

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 Saraburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Saraburi, 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 $1,173 in Saraburi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saraburi, 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 $27.00 in Saraburi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Saraburi, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Saraburi 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. Saraburi costs $782 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 Saraburi. 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.