Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Yangon (Rangoon)

For one person, living is cheaper in Yangon (Rangoon): $768 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Yangon (Rangoon)
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Yangon (Rangoon) Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Yangon (Rangoon)

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Yangon (Rangoon)

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 Yangon (Rangoon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $768 in Yangon (Rangoon), rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Yangon (Rangoon) $768

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,291 in Yangon (Rangoon), rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Yangon (Rangoon) $1,291

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,814 in Yangon (Rangoon), rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Yangon (Rangoon) $1,814

Chiang Mai costs about 22% more than Yangon (Rangoon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Yangon (Rangoon) are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Yangon (Rangoon) 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.53 MMK 5,292

-10.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$16.55 MMK 34.6K

15.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$2.92 MMK 6,119

91.44%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.67 MMK 3,495

2.99%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.70 MMK 1,472

-8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.61 MMK 1,284

-45.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.02 MMK 2,137

131.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.06 MMK 4,307

89.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.68 MMK 3,513

22.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.14 MMK 2,377

22.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$2.16 MMK 4,525

-40.74%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.83 MMK 3,828

22.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$6.30 MMK 13.2K

168.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.69 MMK 9,813

-41.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$6.04 MMK 12.6K

54.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$4.60 MMK 9,637

-47.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.13 MMK 2,368

-10.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$4.01 MMK 8,388

-59.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$3.07 MMK 6,420

-50.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$2.57 MMK 5,389

-50.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.65 MMK 3,459

-32.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.22 MMK 2,553

-40.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.47 MMK 987

10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$1.59 MMK 3,337

172.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$8.98 MMK 18.8K

97.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.89 MMK 1,855

83.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.21 MMK 2,526

135.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.26 MMK 544

226.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$11.85 MMK 24.8K

354.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.03 MMK 2,151

13.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.98 MMK 2,050

-41.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$2.80 MMK 5,863

-15.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$9.33 MMK 19.5K

-84.46%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$29.6K MMK 62.1M

-30.93%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$46.8K MMK 98.0M

-43.36%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$50.2 MMK 105.2K

24.09%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$7.49 MMK 15.7K

63.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$18.63 MMK 39.0K

7.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$19.34 MMK 40.5K

96.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$11.03 MMK 23.1K

-65.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$2.54 MMK 5,311

164.17%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$504 MMK 1.1M

58.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$17.1K MMK 35.8M

-13.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$90.9 MMK 190.4K

-41.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$65.5 MMK 137.1K

-61.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$103 MMK 215.1K

-10.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$127 MMK 266.9K

-42.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$369 MMK 771.7K

25.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$199 MMK 416.2K

53.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$1,039 MMK 2.2M

-11.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$546 MMK 1.1M

1.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$2,173 MMK 4.6M

-12.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$927 MMK 1.9M

55.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$274 MMK 572.7K

117.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-53.58%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Yangon (Rangoon): October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Yangon (Rangoon)

$199 25.9% 34.8% $106

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Yangon (Rangoon)

$212 27.6% 10.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Yangon (Rangoon)

$174 22.7% 58.9% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Yangon (Rangoon)

$76 9.9% 19.3% $18

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Yangon (Rangoon)

$64 8.3% 19.6% $16

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Yangon (Rangoon)

$19 2.5% 69.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Yangon (Rangoon)

$24 3.2% 52.5% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $369 in Yangon (Rangoon). Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 118% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $17.00 in Yangon (Rangoon). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $212 – making Yangon (Rangoon) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇲 Yangon (Rangoon)

🕒 Local time

12:01 12:01 PM

11:31 11:31 AM

30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

5,160,512

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.25 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MMK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,354 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.25 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Chiang Mai Yangon (Rangoon) 370 km

From you

Chiang Mai
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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 Yangon (Rangoon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 22% more than Yangon (Rangoon), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,152 in Yangon (Rangoon). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $504 in Yangon (Rangoon). For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Yangon (Rangoon), where all-in costs run around $768, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Yangon (Rangoon) 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. Yangon (Rangoon) costs $768 versus $938 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 Yangon (Rangoon). 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.