Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Chiang Rai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Rai: $713 a month against $866 in Da Nang, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Da Nang outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Rai
Learn more

Chiang Rai Living Index

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Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$866

/mo nomad

Chiang Rai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Da Nang and in Chiang Rai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Da Nang versus $713 in Chiang Rai.

Da Nang $866
Chiang Rai $713

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,402 in Da Nang versus $1,132 in Chiang Rai.

Da Nang $1,402
Chiang Rai $1,132

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,937 in Da Nang versus $1,551 in Chiang Rai.

Da Nang $1,937
Chiang Rai $1,551

Living in Da Nang is roughly 22% more expensive than in Chiang Rai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Da Nang 36% lower, Chiang Rai 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 ₫59.7K

$2.21 ฿74.0

4.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.11 ₫494.6K

$15.02 ฿502

27.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.4K

$5.45 ฿182

-16.70%

Cappuccino

$1.73 ₫44.7K

$1.31 ฿43.76

32.06%

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

$0.60 ₫15.5K

$0.62 ฿20.71

-3.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,807

$0.27 ฿8.96

25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.38 ₫35.9K

$1.61 ฿53.9

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₫60.8K

$3.62 ฿121

-35.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₫41.1K

$1.97 ฿66.0

-19.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ₫31.7K

$1.41 ฿47.09

-12.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$1.17 ฿39.25

-10.26%

Eggs

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$1.87 ฿62.5

-20.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 ₫343.2K

$16.72 ฿559

-20.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.25 ₫110.1K

$2.73 ฿91.2

55.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 ₫247.8K

$9.35 ฿312

2.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 ₫68.3K

$2.42 ฿80.8

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.2K

$0.86 ฿28.67

39.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ₫34.0K

$1.53 ฿51.3

-14.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₫39.5K

$0.87 ฿28.95

75.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$1.29 ฿43.27

-11.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.9K

$1.08 ฿35.97

21.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₫26.8K

$0.72 ฿24.19

43.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₫13.7K

$0.52 ฿17.39

1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 ₫39.2K

$3.78 ฿126

-60.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 ₫195.2K

$17.54 ฿586

-57.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.2K

$1.59 ฿53.0

-41.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₫56.2K

$2.87 ฿96.0

-24.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ₫8,963

$0.83 ฿27.77

-57.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.01 ₫129.6K

$22.15 ฿740

-77.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$1.18 ฿39.43

-11.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.5K

$0.56 ฿18.76

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.19 ₫496.8K

$2.37 ฿79.2

709.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

$1.37 ฿45.62

-35.04%

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

$30.4K ₫788.3M

$20.9K ฿698.8K

45.63%

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

$28.1K ₫726.2M

$27.1K ฿906.6K

3.40%

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

$78.5 ₫2.0M

$61.5 ฿2,055

27.71%

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

$6.17 ₫159.8K

$12.14 ฿406

-49.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.35 ₫216.1K

$13.57 ฿454

-38.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.33 ₫655.7K

$35.83 ฿1,197

-29.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.45 ₫141.0K

$5.80 ฿194

-6.03%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 ₫85.1K

$2.89 ฿96.7

13.84%

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

$160 ₫4.2M

$770 ฿25.7K

-79.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ₫385.9M

$14.6K ฿487.9K

2.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.73 ₫1.2M

$54.6 ฿1,824

-18.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.90 ₫722.2K

$25.10 ฿839

11.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₫2.6M

$74.9 ฿2,502

36.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 ₫2.1M

$73.1 ฿2,444

10.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 ₫13.8M

$229 ฿7,669

131.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 ₫9.0M

$154 ฿5,141

124.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ₫26.9M

$502 ฿16.8K

106.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₫20.6M

$355 ฿11.9K

123.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,852 ₫99.7M

$1,910 ฿63.8K

101.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,328 ₫34.4M

$955 ฿31.9K

39.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$354 ₫9.2M

$585 ฿19.6K

-39.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.72

5.57

92.46%

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

Last update for Da Nang: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Rai: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Da Nang

$346 39.9%

Chiang Rai

$154 21.6% 55.5% $192

Groceries & Markets

Da Nang

$202 23.3%

Chiang Rai

$230 32.2% 13.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Da Nang

$115 13.3%

Chiang Rai

$102 14.4% 11% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Nang

$93 10.7%

Chiang Rai

$87 12.2% 6.3% $5.9

Eating Out

Da Nang

$68 7.9%

Chiang Rai

$69 9.6% 0.7% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Da Nang

$32 3.7%

Chiang Rai

$42 5.8% 30.5% $9.7

Getting Around

Da Nang

$10 1.2%

Chiang Rai

$29 4.1% 188% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $532 in Da Nang and $229 in Chiang Rai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Rai pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Da Nang vs $15.00 in Chiang Rai. Groceries flip the comparison at $202 vs $230, with Da Nang cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🇹🇭 Chiang Rai

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

Same time as Da Nang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,200

77,672

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Da Nang Chiang Rai 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Da Nang
Chiang Rai

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

Da Nang vs Chiang Rai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Da Nang and Chiang Rai differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($866 vs $713 including rent). Chiang Rai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Chiang Rai. 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: $532 in Da Nang versus $229 in Chiang Rai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $160 in Da Nang versus $770 in Chiang Rai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Da Nang pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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, Da Nang and Chiang Rai 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 22% less than in Da Nang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.