Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gyeongju and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,236 in Gyeongju, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Gyeongju
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Gyeongju Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Gyeongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,236

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,236 per month in Gyeongju vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gyeongju $1,236
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,053 per month in Gyeongju vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gyeongju $2,053
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,871 per month in Gyeongju vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gyeongju $2,871
Chiang Mai $1,999

Gyeongju costs about 32% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Gyeongju and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Gyeongju 9% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.38 ₩9,898

$2.13 ฿71.7

246.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.59 ₩63.8K

$18.62 ฿625

155.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 ₩8,652

$5.60 ฿188

15.18%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ₩4,005

$1.66 ฿55.9

80.12%

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

$1.13 ₩1,518

$0.65 ฿21.73

73.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₩482

$0.30 ฿10.24

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ₩3,507

$2.32 ฿78.0

12.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 ₩5,640

$3.67 ฿123

14.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 ₩3,117

$2.02 ฿67.7

15.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ₩3,394

$1.41 ฿47.29

79.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 ₩4,122

$1.39 ฿46.75

120.86%

Eggs

$2.57 ₩3,450

$2.37 ฿79.5

8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.82 ₩14.5K

$16.52 ฿555

-34.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 ₩13.9K

$2.67 ฿89.7

287.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.74 ₩25.1K

$9.02 ฿303

107.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.42 ₩5,930

$2.40 ฿80.6

84.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 ₩3,577

$1.04 ฿34.98

156.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 ₩5,003

$1.66 ฿55.7

124.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 ₩4,896

$1.56 ฿52.4

133.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,406

$1.24 ฿41.57

104.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 ₩3,043

$1.09 ฿36.50

108.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₩2,921

$0.76 ฿25.59

186.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₩1,761

$0.51 ฿17.27

156.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ₩4,556

$4.12 ฿138

-17.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 ₩20.0K

$17.93 ฿602

-16.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₩1,463

$1.62 ฿54.5

-32.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ₩2,901

$2.82 ฿94.8

-23.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₩1,379

$0.93 ฿31.39

10.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 ₩4,014

$1.18 ฿39.52

153.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₩828

$0.17 ฿5.76

264.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.01 ₩20.1K

$1.81 ฿60.9

729.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₩1,417

$1.47 ฿49.47

-27.89%

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

$38.5K ₩51.6M

$21.0K ฿705.8K

83.34%

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

$33.9K ₩45.5M

$26.5K ฿890.7K

27.89%

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

$79.4 ₩106.5K

$62.6 ฿2,101

26.97%

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

$36.57 ₩49.0K

$11.60 ฿390

215.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.28 ₩36.6K

$20.30 ฿682

34.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 ₩72.9K

$37.88 ฿1,272

43.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.33 ₩20.5K

$3.70 ฿124

314.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 ₩15.0K

$6.51 ฿219

72.04%

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

$639 ₩856.6K

$727 ฿24.4K

-12.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.5M

$16.6K ฿556.7K

32.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.27 ₩59.4K

$53.5 ฿1,798

-17.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.44 ₩30.1K

$24.80 ฿833

-9.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 ₩126.0K

$90.4 ฿3,036

3.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 ₩166.6K

$72.0 ฿2,418

72.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ₩576.0K

$481 ฿16.2K

-10.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 ₩504.7K

$310 ฿10.4K

21.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 ₩1.5M

$1,058 ฿35.5K

8.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$858 ₩1.2M

$659 ฿22.1K

30.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,043 ₩8.1M

$2,418 ฿81.2K

149.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,003 ₩8.0M

$1,609 ฿54.0K

273.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,851 ₩2.5M

$595 ฿20.0K

211.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.57

-24.24%

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

Last update for Gyeongju: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gyeongju

$376 30.5%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 17.7% $67

Groceries & Markets

Gyeongju

$359 29.1%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 34.1% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gyeongju

$143 11.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 34.1% $49

Eating Out

Gyeongju

$142 11.5%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 46% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Gyeongju

$128 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 15.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Gyeongju

$77 6.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 33.7% $26

Getting Around

Gyeongju

$10 * 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 475% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Gyeongju versus $481 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 in Gyeongju are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Gyeongju versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gyeongju

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:55 6:55 PM

16:55 4:55 PM

2 h behind Gyeongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

258,156

127,240

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Gyeongju Chiang Mai 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Gyeongju
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

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

Gyeongju costs about 32% 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 $1,854 per month in Gyeongju and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gyeongju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $430 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Gyeongju and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Gyeongju, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,236 in Gyeongju and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,236 in Gyeongju. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gyeongju makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.