Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tumon

For one person, living is cheaper in Tumon: $429 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Tumon

🇬🇺 Guam

$429

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $429 in Tumon, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Tumon $429

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,002 in Tumon, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Tumon $2,002

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,574 in Tumon, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Tumon $3,574

Chiang Mai costs about 116% more than Tumon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Tumon are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Tumon 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿77.2

$25.37 $25.37

-90.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿663

$51.7 $51.7

-62.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿189

$12.95 $12.95

-56.68%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$6.01 $6.01

-72.38%

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

$0.70 ฿23.62

$3.05 $3.05

-77.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.33

$3.03 $3.03

-89.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿81.2

$7.12 $7.12

-66.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿125

$8.88 $8.88

-58.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.9

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.48

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿44.04

Eggs

$2.18 ฿73.6

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿562

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿93.1

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿307

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.7

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.59

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.54

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.38

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.76

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿605

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿53.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿29.14

$6.87 $6.87

-87.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,798

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.67

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.17

$1.94 $1.94

-70.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿79.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿48.42

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

$20.7K ฿699.4K

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

$26.8K ฿904.2K

$29.1K $29.1K

-7.98%

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

$62.3 ฿2,103

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

$12.11 ฿409

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿673

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,251

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿219

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

$793 ฿26.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿499.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,813

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,065

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,400

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿10.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.7K

$2,433 $2,433

-77.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿65.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.9K

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 Tumon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Tumon

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Tumon

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Tumon

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Tumon

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Tumon

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Tumon

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Tumon

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $52.0 in Tumon. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇬🇺 Tumon

🕒 Local time

22:04 10:04 PM

01:04 1:04 AM

3 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

44,943

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.93 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Tumon 4,920 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tumon

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 Tumon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 116% more than Tumon, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $643 in Tumon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $925 in Chiang Mai and $429 in Tumon. That's a gap of about 116%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $52.0 in Tumon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tumon, where all-in costs run around $429, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Tumon 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. Tumon costs $429 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 Tumon. 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.