Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ta Khmau

For one person, living is cheaper in Ta Khmau: $511 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Ta Khmau
Learn more

Ta Khmau Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Ta Khmau

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ta Khmau

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $511 in Ta Khmau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Ta Khmau $511

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $812 in Ta Khmau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Ta Khmau $812

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,114 in Ta Khmau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Ta Khmau $1,114

Chiang Mai costs about 83% more than Ta Khmau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Ta Khmau are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ta Khmau 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$2.55 ៛10.4K

-12.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$24.28 ៛99.1K

-21.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$6.88 ៛28.1K

-19.33%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.69 ៛6,883

-1.18%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.70 ៛2,872

-8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.39 ៛1,598

-20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.02 ៛4,163

131.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.02 ៛8,233

81.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.24 ៛9,137

-12.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.65 ៛6,734

-12.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.88 ៛3,594

51.14%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.75 ៛7,129

30.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$14.60 ៛59.6K

12.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.89 ៛11.8K

-3.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.50 ៛38.8K

-2.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$4.28 ៛17.5K

-45.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.23 ៛5,002

-21.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.69 ៛15.0K

-56.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.09 ៛4,435

37.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.29 ៛5,245

-0.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.13 ៛4,593

-2.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.30 ៛5,305

-45.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.77 ៛3,159

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.35 ៛5,493

206.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$8.04 ៛32.8K

117.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.96 ៛3,905

67.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.79 ៛7,321

55.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.08 ៛4,397

7.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.03 ៛4,194

-48.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$4.94 ៛20.2K

-51.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.26 ៛5,138

15.08%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$25.2K ៛102.8M

-16.40%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$22.8K ៛93.0M

18.23%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$99.9 ៛407.9K

-37.79%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$5.71 ៛23.3K

113.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$15.09 ៛61.6K

33.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.93 ៛20.1K

31.64%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$293 ៛1.2M

151.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$4,377 ៛17.9M

237.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$26.29 ៛107.3K

103.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$13.48 ៛55.0K

82.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$68.5 ៛279.3K

33.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$44.57 ៛181.9K

61.41%

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 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

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 Ta Khmau: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Ta Khmau

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Ta Khmau

$230 45.1% 1.8% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Ta Khmau

$69 13.5% 36.7% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ta Khmau

$121 23.7% 27.8% $26

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Ta Khmau

$75 14.7% 3.6% $2.8

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ta Khmau

$6.2 * 1.2% 89.9% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ta Khmau

$9.9 * 1.9% 80.4% $40

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 $24 in Ta Khmau. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $230 in Ta Khmau – so Ta Khmau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇭 Ta Khmau

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

52,066

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 KHR = 2.45 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.2 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,081 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.45 USD). 1 EUR = 4,542 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ta Khmau 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ta Khmau

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 Ta Khmau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 83% more than Ta Khmau, 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 $766 in Ta Khmau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $511 in Ta Khmau. That’s a gap of about 83%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $24 in Ta Khmau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $511 in Ta Khmau, 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 $511 in Ta Khmau to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.