Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Rai and Nakhon Ratchasima

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Rai: $713 a month against $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Rai
Learn more

Chiang Rai Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Nakhon Ratchasima
Learn more

Nakhon Ratchasima Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Rai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$713

/mo nomad

Nakhon Ratchasima

🇹🇭 Thailand

$777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Rai and in Nakhon Ratchasima

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Rai and in Nakhon Ratchasima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $713 in Chiang Rai versus $777 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Chiang Rai $713
Nakhon Ratchasima $777

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in Chiang Rai versus $1,275 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Chiang Rai $1,132
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in Chiang Rai versus $1,773 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Chiang Rai $1,551
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,773

Living in Chiang Rai costs roughly 8% less than in Nakhon Ratchasima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Rai 47% lower, Nakhon Ratchasima 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 ฿74.0

$2.84 ฿94.9

-22.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.02 ฿502

$26.08 ฿871

-42.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 ฿182

$6.01 ฿201

-9.32%

Cappuccino

$1.31 ฿43.76

$1.92 ฿64.2

-31.77%

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

$0.62 ฿20.71

$0.57 ฿19.14

8.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ฿8.96

$0.29 ฿9.65

-6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.83 ฿61.1

-12.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 ฿121

$2.75 ฿92.0

31.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 ฿66.0

$1.59 ฿53.2

23.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.09

$1.27 ฿42.52

11.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$1.23 ฿40.98

-4.88%

Eggs

$1.87 ฿62.5

$1.50 ฿50.2

24.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.72 ฿559

$15.63 ฿522

6.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.73 ฿91.2

$2.66 ฿88.9

2.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.35 ฿312

$10.10 ฿338

-7.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 ฿80.8

$3.10 ฿104

-21.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 ฿28.67

$1.28 ฿42.68

-32.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$1.86 ฿62.1

-17.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.87 ฿28.95

$1.95 ฿65.1

-55.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.27

$1.20 ฿40.24

7.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ฿35.97

$1.03 ฿34.37

4.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.19

$1.23 ฿41.02

-41.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.38 ฿12.60

36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ฿126

$2.89 ฿96.7

30.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.54 ฿586

$17.65 ฿590

-0.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ฿53.0

$1.71 ฿57.2

-7.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.0

$2.99 ฿100.0

-4.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ฿27.77

$0.43 ฿14.40

93.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.15 ฿740

$18.99 ฿635

16.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.43

$1.02 ฿34.03

15.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.76

$1.13 ฿37.66

-50.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$7.30 ฿244

-67.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ฿45.62

$1.35 ฿45.03

1.48%

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

$20.9K ฿698.8K

$46.6K ฿1.6M

-55.17%

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

$27.1K ฿906.6K

$26.6K ฿889.2K

1.96%

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

$61.5 ฿2,055

$86.1 ฿2,877

-28.56%

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

$12.14 ฿406

$11.39 ฿381

6.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.57 ฿454

$19.25 ฿643

-29.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.83 ฿1,197

$46.92 ฿1,568

-23.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.80 ฿194

$14.91 ฿498

-61.10%

Cinema Ticket

$2.89 ฿96.7

$4.71 ฿158

-38.64%

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

$770 ฿25.7K

$180 ฿6,020

327.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿487.9K

$14.1K ฿470.9K

3.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ฿1,824

$49.69 ฿1,661

9.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.10 ฿839

$29.73 ฿994

-15.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 ฿2,502

$78.9 ฿2,637

-5.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.1 ฿2,444

$67.1 ฿2,243

8.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 ฿7,669

$217 ฿7,263

5.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ฿5,141

$158 ฿5,292

-2.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 ฿16.8K

$496 ฿16.6K

1.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ฿11.9K

$420 ฿14.1K

-15.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,910 ฿63.8K

$3,287 ฿109.9K

-41.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$955 ฿31.9K

$1,737 ฿58.1K

-45.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ฿19.6K

$615 ฿20.6K

-4.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.1

9.22%

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

Last update for Chiang Rai: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Rai

$230 32.2%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$235 30.3% 2.5% $5.8

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Rai

$154 21.6%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$158 20.4% 2.9% $4.5

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Rai

$102 14.4%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$101 13.1% 1% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Rai

$87 12.2%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$117 15% 33.9% $30

Eating Out

Chiang Rai

$69 9.6%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$82 10.5% 19.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Rai

$42 5.8%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$56 7.3% 35.4% $15

Getting Around

Chiang Rai

$29 4.1%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$27 3.5% 7.1% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $229 in Chiang Rai and $217 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nakhon Ratchasima pays 5% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $15.00 in Chiang Rai vs $26.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $235 per month, with Chiang Rai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Rai

🇹🇭 Nakhon Ratchasima

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

Same time as Chiang Rai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,672

126,391

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Rai Nakhon Ratchasima 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Rai
Nakhon Ratchasima

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 Rai vs Nakhon Ratchasima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Rai and Nakhon Ratchasima differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($713 vs $777 including rent). Chiang Rai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Nakhon Ratchasima. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $229 in Chiang Rai versus $217 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $770 in Chiang Rai versus $180 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Nakhon Ratchasima. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Chiang Rai gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chiang Rai and Nakhon Ratchasima are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Rai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Nakhon Ratchasima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.