Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chon Buri and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Chon Buri: $814 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Chon Buri
Learn more

Chon Buri Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Chon Buri

🇹🇭 Thailand

$814

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chon Buri and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $814 per month in Chon Buri vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chon Buri $814
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,358 per month in Chon Buri vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chon Buri $1,358
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chon Buri vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chon Buri $1,903
Chiang Mai $1,903

Chon Buri is about 12% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chon Buri and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Chon Buri 40% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.88 ฿63.0

$2.29 ฿76.5

-17.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.18 ฿541

$19.64 ฿656

-17.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.67 ฿256

$5.61 ฿188

36.72%

Cappuccino

$1.77 ฿59.1

$1.66 ฿55.6

6.63%

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

$0.74 ฿24.75

$0.70 ฿23.40

5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.31 ฿10.24

12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ฿59.3

$2.41 ฿80.4

-26.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$3.71 ฿124

-21.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.76

$1.95 ฿65.3

-23.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ฿43.31

$1.41 ฿47.03

-7.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 ฿40.78

$1.31 ฿43.62

-6.87%

Eggs

$1.92 ฿64.2

$2.18 ฿72.9

-11.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.38 ฿414

$16.65 ฿556

-25.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.44 ฿81.5

$2.76 ฿92.2

-11.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.33 ฿345

$9.11 ฿304

13.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 ฿119

$2.39 ฿80.0

48.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 ฿31.14

$1.03 ฿34.26

-9.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ฿81.9

$1.63 ฿54.4

50.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.50 ฿50.0

8.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿66.5

$1.29 ฿43.13

54.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.11 ฿37.03

-6.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ฿25.22

$0.72 ฿24.08

4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ฿15.01

$0.53 ฿17.59

-15.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$4.31 ฿144

0.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.97 ฿467

$17.95 ฿600

-22.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿53.8

$1.58 ฿52.9

1.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿60.2

$2.84 ฿95.0

-36.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 ฿33.10

$0.86 ฿28.86

15.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.3

$1.21 ฿40.29

90.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.57 ฿18.99

166.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 ฿204

$2.35 ฿78.6

159.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ฿44.07

$1.44 ฿47.96

-8.33%

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

$26.6K ฿889.2K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

28.35%

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

$22.2K ฿743.1K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-17.03%

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

$83.6 ฿2,795

$62.3 ฿2,083

34.16%

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

$9.07 ฿303

$12.11 ฿405

-25.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.73 ฿793

$19.94 ฿666

19.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.24 ฿1,545

$37.07 ฿1,239

24.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.98 ฿467

$3.78 ฿126

269.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 ฿219

$6.50 ฿217

0.92%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$793 ฿26.5K

-8.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K ฿367.4K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-25.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$6.05 ฿202

$53.7 ฿1,796

-88.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.20 ฿1,210

$24.62 ฿823

47.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 ฿2,431

$90.9 ฿3,036

-19.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.7 ฿1,828

$71.1 ฿2,378

-23.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 ฿17.8K

$455 ฿15.2K

16.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 ฿8,398

$298 ฿9,954

-15.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 ฿36.6K

$908 ฿30.4K

20.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$554 ฿18.5K

30.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,662 ฿55.6K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-13.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,462 ฿48.9K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

1.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.7K

$591 ฿19.7K

-0.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-46.14%

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

Last update for Chon Buri: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chon Buri

$251 30.9%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 18.5% $47

Groceries & Markets

Chon Buri

$218 26.8%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chon Buri

$116 14.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 18.9% $22

Eating Out

Chon Buri

$78 9.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 0.3% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chon Buri

$76 9.4%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 41.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Chon Buri

$59 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 15.7% $9.3

Getting Around

Chon Buri

$14 * 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 338% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $531 in Chon Buri versus $455 in Chiang Mai. 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 0% 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 $16.00 in Chon Buri versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $235 – making Chon Buri the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chon Buri

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

Same time as Chon Buri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,364

127,240

💱 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

Chon Buri Chiang Mai 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chon Buri
Chiang Mai

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

Chon Buri vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 14% more than Chon Buri, 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 $1,221 per month in Chon Buri and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Chon Buri and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% 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 Chon Buri, where all-in costs run around $814, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Chon Buri 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. Chon Buri costs $814 versus $925 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 Chon Buri. 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.