Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Songkhla

For one person, living is cheaper in Songkhla: $837 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Songkhla
Learn more

Songkhla Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Songkhla

🇹🇭 Thailand

$837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $837 in Songkhla, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Songkhla $837

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,340 in Songkhla, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Songkhla $1,340

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,844 in Songkhla, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Songkhla $1,844

Chiang Mai costs about 12% more than Songkhla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Songkhla are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Songkhla 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$1.76 ฿59.4

27.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$24.63 ฿830

-22.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.69 ฿158

18.34%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$1.63 ฿54.8

2.45%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.67 ฿22.61

-4.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.25 ฿8.47

24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.75 ฿58.9

34.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$4.76 ฿160

-23.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.59 ฿53.7

22.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.85 ฿28.79

69.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.64 ฿55.3

-18.90%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.38 ฿46.58

65.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$16.82 ฿567

-2.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.69 ฿90.6

3.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.44 ฿352

-10.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$2.86 ฿96.3

-17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.67 ฿56.3

-41.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$2.21 ฿74.3

-27.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.26 ฿42.32

19.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.47 ฿49.66

-12.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.70 ฿57.5

-35.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$1.11 ฿37.39

-36.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.91 ฿30.51

-46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.25 ฿143

-2.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$13.46 ฿453

30.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.55 ฿52.2

3.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$4.59 ฿155

-39.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.86 ฿28.88

1.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$60.7 ฿2,045

-10.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.21 ฿40.77

-4.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.76 ฿25.51

-30.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$5.84 ฿197

-58.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.21 ฿40.92

19.83%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$26.3K ฿887.7K

-20.05%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$31.3K ฿1.1M

-13.97%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$85.3 ฿2,873

-27.08%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$12.64 ฿426

-3.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$18.03 ฿608

11.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$48.35 ฿1,629

-22.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$13.08 ฿441

-71.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.91 ฿199

9.81%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$571 ฿19.2K

28.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$11.0K ฿372.1K

33.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$51.7 ฿1,741

3.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$29.14 ฿982

-15.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$76.7 ฿2,586

19.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$77.2 ฿2,602

-6.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$239 ฿8,043

102.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$178 ฿6,009

73.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$592 ฿19.9K

69.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$412 ฿13.9K

53.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$1,933 ฿65.1K

22.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,456 ฿49.1K

9.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$801 ฿27.0K

-26.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.33

-40.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Songkhla: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Songkhla

$178 21.3% 42.3% $131

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Songkhla

$238 28.5% 1.6% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Songkhla

$106 12.6% 2.8% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Songkhla

$116 13.9% 22.7% $21

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Songkhla

$70 8.3% 10.3% $8

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Songkhla

$69 8.3% 12.6% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Songkhla

$60 7.2% 19.7% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $239 in Songkhla. 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 36% higher in Songkhla, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $25 in Songkhla. 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

🇹🇭 Songkhla

🕒 Local time

07:15 7:15 AM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

61,758

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Songkhla 1,300 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Songkhla

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 Songkhla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 12% more than Songkhla, 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 $1,255 in Songkhla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Songkhla, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $239 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $25 in Songkhla. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $837 in Songkhla, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Songkhla – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.