Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Siem Reap Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Siem Reap

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $709 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,089 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,469 in Siem Reap, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 22% more than Siem Reap, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Chiang Mai and Siem Reap are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Siem Reap 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.9

$2.49 ៛10.0K

-21.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$23.88 ៛96.3K

-23.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$6.97 ៛28.1K

7.32%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.64 ៛6,621

23.17%

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

$0.85 ฿28.52

$0.74 ៛2,997

14.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.97

$0.51 ៛2,065

-29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$0.99 ៛3,986

116.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$1.93 ៛7,787

86.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.81 ៛7,302

-8.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$1.38 ៛5,550

13.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.05

$1.03 ៛4,141

15.53%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.64 ៛6,598

18.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿545

$12.65 ៛51.0K

27.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$3.59 ៛14.5K

-16.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$10.21 ៛41.2K

7.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$3.61 ៛14.5K

-24.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.27

$1.12 ៛4,526

4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$3.39 ៛13.7K

-50.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$1.31 ៛5,280

22.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.25 ៛5,024

10.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.47

$0.91 ៛3,671

31.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.51

$1.30 ៛5,222

-48.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.74

$0.71 ៛2,869

-21.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$1.92 ៛7,733

141.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$7.40 ៛29.8K

138.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$0.79 ៛3,196

135.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.68 ៛6,792

96.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

$1.02 ៛4,123

-13.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.92

$1.02 ៛4,110

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

$0.98 ៛3,955

36.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$4.37 ៛17.6K

87.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.20

$1.13 ៛4,541

7.96%

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

$21.4K ฿718.5K

$48.5K ៛195.4M

-55.95%

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

$22.5K ฿758.1K

$37.3K ៛150.3M

-39.55%

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

$70.7 ฿2,378

$73.1 ៛294.6K

-3.28%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$6.01 ៛24.2K

133.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿589

$19.54 ៛78.8K

-10.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

$36.16 ៛145.8K

16.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$3.40 ៛13.7K

102.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$4.52 ៛18.2K

30.97%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$369 ៛1.5M

-16.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.7K

$5,081 ៛20.5M

192.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,876

$21.85 ៛88.1K

155.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿879

$18.00 ៛72.6K

45.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,793

$54.3 ៛218.9K

52.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,371

$36.15 ៛145.7K

94.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$311 ៛1.3M

38.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

$222 ៛894.4K

7.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$509 ៛2.1M

61.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$331 ៛1.3M

54.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$2,509 ៛10.1M

-23.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

$1,069 ៛4.3M

37.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$237 ៛956.3K

144.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.2

-45.65%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $311 in Siem Reap. 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 144% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $24.00 in Siem Reap. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $215 in Siem Reap – so Siem Reap wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Siem Reap: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 22% more than Siem Reap, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,063 in Siem Reap. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Siem Reap, 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $24.00 in Siem Reap. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $709 in Siem Reap, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Siem Reap costs $709 versus $861 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 Siem Reap. 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.