Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tuy Hoa

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuy Hoa: $748 a month against $906 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Tuy Hoa
Learn more

Tuy Hoa Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Tuy Hoa

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Tuy Hoa

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $748 in Tuy Hoa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $906
Tuy Hoa $748

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,213 in Tuy Hoa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Tuy Hoa $1,213

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,678 in Tuy Hoa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Tuy Hoa $1,678

Chiang Mai costs about 21% more than Tuy Hoa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Tuy Hoa are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Tuy Hoa 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$2.68 ₫69.6K

-20.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿652

$23.49 ₫609.2K

-17.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿184

$4.63 ₫120.1K

18.14%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.6

$1.63 ₫42.1K

3.07%

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

$0.66 ฿22.18

$0.36 ₫9,407

83.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.56

$0.23 ₫5,984

47.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.3

$0.65 ₫16.8K

272.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

$1.20 ₫31.2K

210.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿69.2

$1.41 ₫36.5K

46.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.97

$0.44 ₫11.4K

231.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.26

$1.04 ₫26.8K

29.81%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.3

$1.37 ₫35.6K

65.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿548

$11.81 ₫306.3K

38.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.7

$3.06 ₫79.3K

-11.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿309

$11.01 ₫285.6K

-16.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.5

$1.96 ₫50.9K

21.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.79

$0.83 ₫21.5K

25.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.06 ₫27.5K

50.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.55

$1.19 ₫30.8K

21.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.76

$0.79 ₫20.4K

64.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.44

$0.66 ₫17.0K

68.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.65

$0.79 ₫20.4K

-11.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.06

$0.38 ₫9,879

34.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿139

$1.55 ₫40.3K

166.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿598

$11.39 ₫295.4K

56.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.9

$0.61 ₫15.8K

167.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.4

$1.85 ₫48.0K

55.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.87

$0.30 ₫7,659

186.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,786

$6.60 ₫171.0K

705.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.97

$0.56 ₫14.5K

117.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.89

$0.59 ₫15.4K

-5.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.8

$2.60 ₫67.4K

-11.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.87 ₫22.7K

72.41%

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

$20.9K ฿701.0K

$30.6K ₫792.8M

-31.77%

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

$26.7K ฿898.5K

$28.3K ₫735.0M

-5.67%

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

$61.3 ฿2,059

$75.2 ₫2.0M

-18.58%

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

$12.50 ฿420

$6.65 ₫172.5K

87.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿684

$9.18 ₫238.1K

121.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,275

$22.53 ₫584.3K

68.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.92 ₫179.5K

-45.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿222

$1.94 ₫50.3K

240.21%

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

$774 ฿26.0K

$208 ₫5.4M

272.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿485.1K

$3,820 ₫99.1M

277.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,842

$41.52 ₫1.1M

31.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿849

$24.19 ₫627.3K

4.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,044

$48.70 ₫1.3M

85.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,462

$80.3 ₫2.1M

-8.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$377 ₫9.8M

21.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,874

$312 ₫8.1M

-5.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.9K

$759 ₫19.7M

21.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$529 ₫13.7M

4.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.4K

$2,785 ₫72.2M

-31.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.6K

$1,298 ₫33.6M

11.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.46

-34.16%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Tuy Hoa: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Tuy Hoa

$312 40.6% 6.1% $18

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Tuy Hoa

$178 23.1% 24.7% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Tuy Hoa

$88 11.4% 20.1% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Tuy Hoa

$91 11.9% 3.2% $3

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Tuy Hoa

$63 8.2% 18.6% $14

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Tuy Hoa

$11 1.5% 81.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Tuy Hoa

$26 3.4% 48.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Chiang Mai versus $377 in Tuy Hoa. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $23.00 in Tuy Hoa. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Chiang Mai vs $178 in Tuy Hoa – so Tuy Hoa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇻🇳 Tuy Hoa

🕒 Local time

09:52 9:52 AM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

202,030

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 33.61 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 25,934 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,064 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Tuy Hoa 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tuy Hoa

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 Tuy Hoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 21% more than Tuy Hoa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,359 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,122 in Tuy Hoa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Chiang Mai and $208 in Tuy Hoa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tuy Hoa, where all-in costs run around $748, than in Chiang Mai at $906. In Tuy Hoa 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. Tuy Hoa costs $748 versus $906 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 Tuy Hoa. 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.