Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Yaren

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaren: $516 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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

$936

/mo nomad

Yaren

🇳🇷 Nauru

$516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $516 in Yaren, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Yaren $516

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,972 in Yaren, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Yaren $2,972

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,428 in Yaren, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Yaren $5,428

Chiang Mai costs about 81% more than Yaren, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Yaren are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Yaren 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$10.54 A$14.97

-78.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$24.71 A$35.11

-23.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.43 A$4.87

-51.31%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.02 A$1.45

-37.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.06 A$1.51

-70.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$6.90 A$9.80

-65.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.76 A$6.77

-23.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$3.11 A$4.43

-37.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.73 A$2.46

-16.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$3.53 A$5.02

-63.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$3.49 A$4.96

-68.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$3.41 A$4.84

-79.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$17.66 A$25.09

-0.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.41 A$2.00

-38.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$86.1 A$122

-37.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$6.90 A$9.80

-83.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$3.45 A$4.90

-84.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$41.57 A$59.1

-94.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.76 A$2.50

-17.61%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$35.0K A$49.7K

-39.84%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$10.5K A$15.0K

155.52%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

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

$12.17 ฿411

$7.00 A$9.94

73.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$28.46 A$40.43

-29.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$0.01 A$0.02

373000.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$14.20 A$20.17

-73.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.18 A$10.21

-9.61%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$350 A$498

110.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$10.6K A$15.1K

39.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$13.76 A$19.56

287.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$10.58 A$15.04

132.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$34.90 A$49.59

162.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$69.4 A$98.6

3.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$2,795 A$3,972

-82.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$5,100 A$7,247

-80.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$4,255 A$6,046

-85.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

39.25%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Yaren: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Yaren

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Yaren

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Yaren

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Yaren

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Yaren

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Yaren

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Yaren

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $2,795 in Yaren. 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 Yaren. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $115 in Yaren – so Yaren wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇷 Yaren

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

08:50 8:50 AM

5 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,100 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Yaren 7,710 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Yaren

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 Yaren: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 81% more than Yaren, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $774 in Yaren. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $2,795 in Yaren.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $350 in Yaren. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 104% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Yaren, where all-in costs run around $516, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Yaren it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $516 in Yaren to $936 in Chiang Mai. 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.