Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gyeonggi and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,072 in Gyeonggi, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gyeonggi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

71

Cost of Living Index in Gyeonggi
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Gyeonggi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Gyeonggi

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,072

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gyeonggi 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 Gyeonggi and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,072 per month in Gyeonggi vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gyeonggi $1,072
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,079 per month in Gyeonggi vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gyeonggi $2,079
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $3,085 per month in Gyeonggi vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gyeonggi $3,085
Chiang Mai $1,914

Gyeonggi costs about 14% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Gyeonggi and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Gyeonggi 21% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.53 ₩10.0K

$2.26 ฿75.4

233.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₩80.6K

$19.18 ฿641

216.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 ₩7,975

$5.59 ฿187

7.33%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₩5,180

$1.72 ฿57.6

126.74%

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

$1.22 ₩1,625

$0.64 ฿21.54

90.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₩903

$0.33 ฿11.18

106.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 ₩4,610

$2.36 ฿78.7

47.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ₩3,890

$3.90 ฿130

-24.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ₩2,334

$2.05 ฿68.6

-14.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$11.17 ₩14.9K

$2.40 ฿80.3

365.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.82 ₩5,084

$1.01 ฿33.92

278.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.70 ₩10.2K

$1.61 ฿53.9

378.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ₩4,087

$1.17 ฿39.18

162.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₩775

$0.57 ฿19.00

1.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₩1,945

$1.45 ฿48.32

0.69%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$186 ₩247.8K

$62.3 ฿2,083

199.01%

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

$40.40 ₩53.7K

$12.27 ฿410

229.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.83 ₩29.0K

$19.97 ฿668

9.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 ₩74.9K

$37.91 ฿1,267

48.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$10.32 ₩13.7K

$6.71 ฿224

53.80%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.4K

$53.3 ฿1,780

10.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 ₩55.9K

$25.05 ฿837

67.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 ₩114.8K

$91.6 ฿3,062

-5.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 ₩707.0K

$464 ฿15.5K

14.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ₩496.5K

$305 ฿10.2K

22.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ₩2.8M

$915 ฿30.6K

129.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 ₩2.0M

$552 ฿18.5K

172.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,244 ₩3.0M

$595 ฿19.9K

276.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.57

-37.16%

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

Last update for Gyeonggi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gyeonggi

$373 34.8%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 18.4% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gyeonggi

$249 23.2%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 62% $154

Eating Out

Gyeonggi

$156 14.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 49.3% $77

Groceries & Markets

Gyeonggi

$127 * 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 87.2% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Gyeonggi

$84 * 7.9%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 29.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Gyeonggi

$77 7.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 33.3% $26

Getting Around

Gyeonggi

$6 * 0.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 924% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $532 in Gyeonggi versus $464 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 277% higher in Gyeonggi, 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 $61.0 in Gyeonggi versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $127 in Gyeonggi vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Gyeonggi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gyeonggi

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:16 4:16 AM

02:16 2:16 AM

2 h behind Gyeonggi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,234,582

127,240

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Gyeonggi Chiang Mai 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Gyeonggi
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

Gyeonggi vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gyeonggi costs about 14% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,608 per month in Gyeonggi and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,072 in Gyeonggi and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 14%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 87% cheaper in Gyeonggi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Gyeonggi at $1,072. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gyeonggi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,072 in Gyeonggi. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gyeonggi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.