Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Shiso Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Shiso

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $947 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,028 in Shiso, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,411 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,916 in Shiso, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,874 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,804 in Shiso, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 8% cheaper than Shiso, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Shiso are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Shiso 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.5

$7.99 ¥1,249

-73.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$66.2 ¥10.3K

-70.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$6.45 ¥1,007

-12.40%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.3

$3.55 ¥554

-49.01%

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

$0.71 ฿23.44

$0.86 ¥134

-17.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.71 ¥110

-54.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.5

$2.61 ¥408

-14.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.09 ¥482

17.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$1.53 ¥239

28.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.38

$2.90 ¥454

-48.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.92

$4.90 ¥766

-72.65%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.4

$2.18 ¥341

3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿534

$10.25 ¥1,601

58.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$6.25 ¥977

-52.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

$26.41 ¥4,125

-62.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.5

$5.50 ¥858

-53.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.72

$2.68 ¥419

-60.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$4.08 ¥638

-60.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.96

$5.73 ¥896

-73.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.76

$4.29 ¥671

-70.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.05

$2.58 ¥403

-58.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.67

$1.40 ¥218

-48.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.81 ¥127

-37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$4.06 ¥635

3.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$7.26 ¥1,135

146.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$1.90 ¥297

-11.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.2

$2.27 ¥355

25.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.42

$1.37 ¥213

-32.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,770

$32.74 ¥5,115

64.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.58

$3.48 ¥544

-64.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$2.92 ¥456

-80.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$20.83 ¥3,255

-88.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.42

$1.21 ¥190

16.53%

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

$21.4K ฿704.9K

$23.0K ¥3.6M

-6.78%

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

$27.3K ฿898.5K

$17.3K ¥2.7M

57.56%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$146 ¥22.8K

-56.36%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$23.62 ¥3,689

-45.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$13.37 ¥2,089

51.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$36.94 ¥5,771

4.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

$14.09 ¥2,201

-71.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿221

$4.77 ¥745

41.30%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$285 ¥44.5K

173.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.2K

$13.4K ¥2.1M

9.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$9.87 ¥1,541

450.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿836

$29.61 ¥4,626

-14.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,101

$33.58 ¥5,246

180.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,414

$101 ¥15.8K

-27.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$471 ¥73.5K

4.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,510

$166 ¥25.9K

74.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$857 ¥133.9K

4.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$662 ¥103.4K

-21.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$4,279 ¥668.4K

-54.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.5K

$2,109 ¥329.4K

-29.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.78

212.92%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Shiso: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $471 in Shiso. 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $66.0 in Shiso. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $240 vs $364 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Shiso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shiso costs about 8% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,421 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,542 in Shiso. 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.

Kindergarten costs $778 per month in Chiang Mai and $285 in Shiso. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Shiso, 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 $947, than in Shiso at $1,028. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shiso it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $947 versus $1,028 in Shiso. 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, Shiso makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.