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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $905 in Sihanoukville, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,386 in Sihanoukville, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,866 in Sihanoukville, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 6% cheaper than Sihanoukville, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Chiang Mai and Sihanoukville are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Sihanoukville 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$4.09 ៛16.4K

-52.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$27.48 ៛110.4K

-31.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$6.81 ៛27.3K

16.30%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$2.60 ៛10.4K

-26.54%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.81 ៛3,245

3.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.43 ៛1,743

-18.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$0.98 ៛3,933

125.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$2.03 ៛8,152

87.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$2.14 ៛8,613

-23.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$1.53 ៛6,162

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.92 ៛3,678

28.26%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$1.82 ៛7,323

10.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$12.94 ៛52.0K

22.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$4.16 ៛16.7K

-27.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

$8.96 ៛36.0K

20.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$3.46 ៛13.9K

-24.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$1.43 ៛5,730

-14.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$3.79 ៛15.2K

-55.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$1.51 ៛6,066

4.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$1.29 ៛5,201

2.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$1.15 ៛4,603

1.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$1.40 ៛5,605

-52.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.68 ៛2,728

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$1.53 ៛6,164

196.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$10.89 ៛43.7K

67.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$0.91 ៛3,654

101.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.65 ៛6,613

95.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$1.06 ៛4,271

27.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.99 ៛3,968

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$4.63 ៛18.6K

78.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$1.17 ៛4,701

8.55%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$48.6K ៛195.3M

-56.48%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$36.7K ៛147.2M

-38.66%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$108 ៛432.5K

-34.85%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$6.17 ៛24.8K

123.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$18.43 ៛74.0K

-4.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$73.2 ៛294.0K

-43.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$9.95 ៛40.0K

-33.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$4.38 ៛17.6K

31.96%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$335 ៛1.3M

-8.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$5,066 ៛20.3M

192.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$21.92 ៛88.0K

148.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$20.15 ៛81.0K

29.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$88.5 ៛355.3K

-4.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$19.80 ៛79.5K

250.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$402 ៛1.6M

5.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$302 ៛1.2M

-21.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$643 ៛2.6M

28.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$505 ៛2.0M

2.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.3

-51.46%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sihanoukville: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Chiang Mai versus $402 in Sihanoukville. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $27.00 in Sihanoukville. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $232 in Sihanoukville – so Sihanoukville 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 Sihanoukville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sihanoukville costs about 6% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,278 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,358 in Sihanoukville. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $27.00 in Sihanoukville. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Sihanoukville – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $905 in Sihanoukville, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $905 in Sihanoukville. 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, Sihanoukville makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.