Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Trang

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $968 in Trang, rent and utilities included – about $400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Trang outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Trang
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Trang Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Trang

🇹🇭 Thailand

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $968 in Trang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Trang $968

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,576 in Trang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Trang $1,576

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,185 in Trang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Trang $2,185

Chiang Mai is about 3% cheaper than Trang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Trang are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Trang 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$1.74 ฿58.6

22.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$22.29 ฿752

-16.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$8.41 ฿284

-33.41%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$2.74 ฿92.5

-39.42%

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

$0.65 ฿21.83

$0.95 ฿31.91

-31.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.50 ฿16.87

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.4

$2.46 ฿83.1

-5.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$3.66 ฿123

0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.67 ฿56.4

20.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.51

$1.24 ฿41.81

13.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.96

$1.07 ฿35.94

29.91%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$2.09 ฿70.5

13.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$11.08 ฿374

49.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$3.47 ฿117

-23.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$10.89 ฿368

-17.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.88 ฿97.0

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$1.61 ฿54.2

-35.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.26 ฿76.4

-26.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$2.13 ฿71.9

-26.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.76

$1.36 ฿45.82

-8.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.66

$1.20 ฿40.60

-9.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$1.06 ฿35.85

-28.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.35

$0.55 ฿18.67

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$4.39 ฿148

-6.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$18.33 ฿618

-2.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.83 ฿61.8

-11.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$2.85 ฿96.3

-1.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.53

$0.82 ฿27.77

13.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.70

$1.50 ฿50.7

-21.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.79

$0.77 ฿25.88

-77.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$3.81 ฿128

-52.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$1.13 ฿38.14

30.09%

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

$21.0K ฿708.9K

$26.8K ฿903.2K

-21.51%

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

$26.5K ฿894.6K

$26.9K ฿906.9K

-1.36%

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

$62.6 ฿2,111

$97.2 ฿3,280

-35.66%

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

$11.60 ฿392

$11.16 ฿377

3.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$17.11 ฿577

18.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$47.26 ฿1,595

-19.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$13.80 ฿466

-73.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$7.65 ฿258

-14.90%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$522 ฿17.6K

39.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.2K

$18.7K ฿630.2K

-11.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,807

$63.9 ฿2,156

-16.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿837

$28.62 ฿966

-13.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,050

$94.9 ฿3,203

-4.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$87.9 ฿2,966

-18.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$465 ฿15.7K

3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$312 ฿10.5K

-0.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$1,152 ฿38.9K

-8.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$787 ฿26.6K

-16.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

$2,042 ฿68.9K

18.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,481 ฿50.0K

8.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Trang: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Trang

$312 32.2% 0.6% $2

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Trang

$238 24.6% 0.4% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Trang

$124 12.8% 14.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Trang

$125 13% 32.8% $31

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Trang

$97 10.1% 27.2% $21

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Trang

$8.6 * 0.9% 85.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Trang

$63 6.5% 22.9% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $465 in Trang. 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 in Chiang Mai versus $22 in Trang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Trang

🕒 Local time

09:55 9:55 AM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

59,304

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Trang 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Trang

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 Trang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trang costs about 3% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,451 in Trang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $481 in Chiang Mai and $465 in Trang. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $968 in Trang. That makes Chiang Mai about 3% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $22 in Trang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $968 in Trang. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $968 in Trang. 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.