Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Surat Thani

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat Thani: $775 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Surat Thani
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Surat Thani Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Surat Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Surat Thani

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $775 in Surat Thani, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Surat Thani $775

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,414 in Surat Thani, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Surat Thani $1,414

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,053 in Surat Thani, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Surat Thani $2,053

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Surat Thani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Surat Thani are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Surat Thani 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$1.89 ฿63.0

21.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$17.87 ฿597

9.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$4.51 ฿151

24.39%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.50 ฿50.2

10.67%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.50 ฿16.68

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.29 ฿9.66

6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.56 ฿85.4

-5.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.69 ฿123

0.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.66 ฿55.4

17.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.19 ฿39.89

18.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.17 ฿39.13

11.97%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.87 ฿62.4

16.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$19.18 ฿641

-13.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.33 ฿111

-17.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$7.44 ฿249

22.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.91 ฿97.2

-17.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.68 ฿56.3

-38.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.76 ฿58.7

-7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$2.05 ฿68.4

-26.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.30 ฿43.57

-0.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.37 ฿45.90

-18.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.11 ฿37.24

-35.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.41 ฿13.66

29.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.07 ฿103

40.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$18.86 ฿630

-4.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.54 ฿51.6

2.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.82 ฿60.7

56.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.02 ฿34.00

-15.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$20.95 ฿700

154.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.18 ฿39.50

2.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.63 ฿21.05

-9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$3.49 ฿117

-32.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.16 ฿38.93

24.14%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$26.6K ฿890.1K

-22.16%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$27.3K ฿911.7K

-1.76%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$72.9 ฿2,437

-14.52%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$11.12 ฿372

8.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$17.32 ฿579

15.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$48.24 ฿1,612

-23.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$11.52 ฿385

-67.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$4.53 ฿151

43.49%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$549 ฿18.3K

44.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$11.6K ฿386.5K

28.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$61.9 ฿2,070

-13.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$29.16 ฿974

-15.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$97.3 ฿3,252

-6.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$86.5 ฿2,892

-17.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$237 ฿7,910

92.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$149 ฿4,985

99.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,150 ฿38.4K

-21.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$709 ฿23.7K

-21.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,226 ฿74.4K

-13.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,404 ฿46.9K

2.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Surat Thani: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Surat Thani

$149 19.3% 49.9% $149

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Surat Thani

$244 31.5% 3.7% $8.7

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Surat Thani

$124 16% 14.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Surat Thani

$101 13.1% 7.4% $7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Surat Thani

$70 9% 11% $8.7

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Surat Thani

$29 3.8% 51.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Surat Thani

$57 7.4% 14.4% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $237 in Surat Thani. 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 $18.00 in Surat Thani. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $244 in Surat Thani – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Surat Thani

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

132,040

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Surat Thani 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Surat Thani

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 Surat Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Surat Thani, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,163 in Surat Thani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surat Thani, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $549 in Surat Thani. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surat Thani, where all-in costs run around $775, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Surat Thani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Surat Thani costs $775 versus $925 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 Surat Thani. 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.