Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Yala

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Yala: $936 and $912 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Yala
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Yala Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Yala

🇹🇭 Thailand

$912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $912 in Yala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Yala $912

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,463 in Yala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Yala $1,463

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,014 in Yala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Yala $2,014

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Yala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Yala are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Yala 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$1.46 ฿49.33

53.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$24.71 ฿834

-23.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.49 ฿253

-25.90%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.96 ฿66.0

-14.80%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.53 ฿17.92

20.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.17 ฿5.89

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.11 ฿71.3

11.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.93 ฿99.0

24.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.72 ฿58.1

13.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.40 ฿47.13

2.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.31 ฿44.25

1.53%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.99 ฿67.1

14.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$16.83 ฿568

-2.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.68 ฿90.5

3.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.31 ฿348

-9.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.88 ฿97.3

-18.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.05 ฿35.53

-7.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.21 ฿74.7

-27.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.94 ฿65.6

-22.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.52 ฿51.3

-15.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.11 ฿37.60

-0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.06 ฿35.89

-33.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.49 ฿16.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.30 ฿145

-3.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$17.83 ฿602

-1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.68 ฿56.9

-4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.86 ฿96.6

-2.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.58 ฿19.61

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.16 ฿39.13

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.17 ฿39.60

-54.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$5.91 ฿200

-59.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.41 ฿47.48

2.84%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$26.9K ฿909.4K

-21.80%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$26.8K ฿904.6K

0.57%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$84.3 ฿2,847

-26.27%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$12.13 ฿410

0.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$18.84 ฿636

6.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$47.71 ฿1,611

-21.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$13.35 ฿451

-71.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.61 ฿223

-1.82%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$581 ฿19.6K

26.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$10.9K ฿366.8K

35.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$49.99 ฿1,688

6.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$29.59 ฿999

-16.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$76.8 ฿2,594

19.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$75.3 ฿2,541

-4.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$437 ฿14.8K

10.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$301 ฿10.1K

2.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,131 ฿38.2K

-11.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$683 ฿23.1K

-7.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,907 ฿64.4K

23.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,461 ฿49.3K

8.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿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 26, 2026

Last update for Yala: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Yala

$301 32.9% 2.7% $8.4

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Yala

$245 26.9% 4.6% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Yala

$104 11.4% 4.1% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Yala

$115 12.6% 22.1% $21

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Yala

$77 8.4% 0.9% $0.7

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Yala

$9.4 * 1% 84.8% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Yala

$61 6.7% 21.2% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $437 in Yala. 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 $25 in Yala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $245 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Yala

🕒 Local time

17:22 5:22 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

60,617

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Yala 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Yala

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 Yala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Yala, 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 $1,369 in Yala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $437 in Yala. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $25 in Yala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $912 in Yala. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Yala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.