Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Svay Rieng

For one person, living is cheaper in Svay Rieng: $603 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Svay Rieng
Learn more

Svay Rieng Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Svay Rieng

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$603

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Svay Rieng

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $603 in Svay Rieng, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Svay Rieng $603

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $980 in Svay Rieng, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Svay Rieng $980

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,358 in Svay Rieng, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Svay Rieng $1,358

Chiang Mai costs about 55% more than Svay Rieng, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Svay Rieng are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Svay Rieng 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$2.05 ៛8,347

9.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$40.05 ៛163.2K

-52.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$7.04 ៛28.7K

-21.16%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$0.79 ៛3,209

111.39%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.48 ៛1,950

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.24 ៛970

29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$0.97 ៛3,972

143.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$3.04 ៛12.4K

20.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.20 ៛8,959

-11.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$1.60 ៛6,502

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.08 ៛4,404

23.15%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.80 ៛7,335

26.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$14.31 ៛58.3K

14.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$4.56 ៛18.6K

-39.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.43 ៛38.4K

-1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$4.27 ៛17.4K

-44.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.71 ៛6,973

-43.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$4.56 ៛18.6K

-64.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.98 ៛8,049

-24.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.73 ៛7,058

-26.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.26 ៛5,148

-12.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$1.40 ៛5,688

-49.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.77 ៛3,139

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.91 ៛7,795

116.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$10.81 ៛44.0K

62.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$0.94 ៛3,848

71.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$1.78 ៛7,244

56.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.08 ៛4,402

7.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$1.01 ៛4,131

-47.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$4.97 ៛20.2K

-51.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.17 ៛4,754

23.93%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$34.6K ៛141.1M

-39.18%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$43.9K ៛178.8M

-38.58%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$121 ៛494.7K

-48.79%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$7.36 ៛30.0K

65.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$25.05 ៛102.1K

-19.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$24.51 ៛99.9K

52.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.09 ៛20.7K

27.50%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$597 ៛2.4M

23.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$11.1K ៛45.2M

32.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$28.37 ៛115.6K

88.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$23.91 ៛97.4K

3.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$92.3 ៛376.0K

-0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$59.9 ៛244.2K

20.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.94

-29.85%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Svay Rieng: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Svay Rieng

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Svay Rieng

$256 42.4% 9.1% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Svay Rieng

$92 15.3% 15.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Svay Rieng

$154 25.5% 62.8% $59

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Svay Rieng

$61 10.1% 21.7% $17

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Svay Rieng

$6.2 * 1% 90% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Svay Rieng

$35 5.8% 31% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $40 in Svay Rieng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $256 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇭 Svay Rieng

🕒 Local time

12:47 12:47 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

23,956

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 KHR = 2.45 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KHR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 4,075 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.45 USD). 1 EUR = 4,567 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Svay Rieng 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Svay Rieng

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 Svay Rieng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 55% more than Svay Rieng, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $905 in Svay Rieng. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $40 in Svay Rieng. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $603 in Svay Rieng, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $603 in Svay Rieng to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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