Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Si Racha

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $987 in Si Racha, rent and utilities included – about $610 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Si Racha
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Si Racha Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Si Racha

🇹🇭 Thailand

$987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Si Racha

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $987 in Si Racha, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Si Racha $987

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,612 in Si Racha, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Si Racha $1,612

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,237 in Si Racha, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Si Racha $2,237

Chiang Mai is about 5% cheaper than Si Racha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Si Racha are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Si Racha 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$2.96 ฿99.9

-24.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$36.14 ฿1,220

-47.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$6.38 ฿215

-13.01%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.68 ฿90.6

-37.69%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.63 ฿21.25

1.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.29 ฿9.70

6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.26 ฿76.4

4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.63 ฿88.8

39.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.80 ฿60.8

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.43 ฿48.20

0.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.41 ฿47.53

-5.67%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.23 ฿75.3

2.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$15.36 ฿519

7.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.56 ฿86.3

8.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.96 ฿336

-6.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.38 ฿114

-30.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.27 ฿42.77

-23.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.86 ฿62.9

-13.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.95 ฿65.9

-23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.24 ฿41.93

3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.09 ฿36.73

0.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.23 ฿41.46

-42.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.48 ฿16.15

2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.44 ฿150

-6.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$15.15 ฿511

15.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.70 ฿57.4

-5.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.91 ฿98.4

-4.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.87 ฿29.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$35.64 ฿1,204

51.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.05 ฿35.61

10.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.08 ฿36.31

-50.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$3.67 ฿124

-34.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.37 ฿46.33

5.84%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$31.0K ฿1.0M

-31.97%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$26.5K ฿894.3K

1.73%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$106 ฿3,589

-41.50%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$11.58 ฿391

5.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$19.32 ฿652

4.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$46.43 ฿1,568

-19.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$13.49 ฿456

-72.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.69 ฿260

-15.60%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$579 ฿19.6K

27.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$14.6K ฿492.9K

1.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$50.1 ฿1,691

6.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$29.74 ฿1,004

-17.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$94.9 ฿3,205

-3.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$74.9 ฿2,528

-3.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$452 ฿15.3K

6.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$296 ฿10.0K

4.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,161 ฿39.2K

-13.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$704 ฿23.8K

-10.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,931 ฿65.2K

22.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,469 ฿49.6K

8.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,058 ฿35.7K

-44.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Si Racha: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Si Racha

$296 30% 4.1% $13

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Si Racha

$238 24.2% 1.7% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Si Racha

$112 11.4% 3.4% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Si Racha

$137 13.9% 45.2% $43

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Si Racha

$95 9.7% 22.7% $18

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Si Racha

$46 4.6% 25.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Si Racha

$62 6.3% 22.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $452 in Si Racha. 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 79% higher in Si Racha. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $36 in Si Racha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Si Racha

🕒 Local time

21:08 9:08 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

19,444

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Si Racha 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Si Racha

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 Si Racha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Si Racha costs about 5% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,480 in Si Racha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $452 in Si Racha. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $36 in Si Racha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Si Racha. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $987 in Si Racha. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $987 in Si Racha. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Si Racha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.