Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ha Dong and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Ha Dong: $794 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Ha Dong, Vietnam
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Ha Dong
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$794
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $794 per month in Ha Dong vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Ha Dong $794
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,278 per month in Ha Dong vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Ha Dong $1,278
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,762 per month in Ha Dong vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Ha Dong $1,762
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Ha Dong is about 15% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ha Dong and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ha Dong 42% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ha Dong
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.99 ₫51.5K
$2.24 ฿75.7
-11.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.71 ₫586.6K
$19.00 ฿642
19.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.43 ₫114.5K
$5.55 ฿188
-20.18%
Cappuccino
$1.86 ₫48.2K
$1.67 ฿56.6
11.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52 ₫13.4K
$0.64 ฿21.56
-18.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ₫8,654
$0.31 ฿10.32
9.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.11 ₫28.7K
$2.36 ฿79.6
-52.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 ₫51.3K
$3.66 ฿124
-45.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ha Dong
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 ₫39.4K
$1.95 ฿65.8
-21.54%
White Bread (500g)
$1.12 ₫29.0K
$1.44 ฿48.51
-22.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.77 ₫19.8K
$1.33 ฿45.07
-42.11%
Eggs
$1.44 ₫37.1K
$2.28 ฿77.1
-36.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.87 ₫306.7K
$16.45 ฿556
-27.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.62 ₫93.5K
$2.78 ฿94.0
30.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.20 ₫263.4K
$9.31 ฿314
9.56%
Apples (1kg)
$3.27 ₫84.5K
$2.35 ฿79.5
39.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.03 ₫26.6K
$0.97 ฿32.82
6.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.31 ₫33.9K
$1.60 ฿53.9
-18.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.11 ₫28.7K
$1.50 ฿50.7
-26.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.92 ₫23.7K
$1.28 ฿43.15
-28.13%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ₫28.1K
$1.10 ฿37.22
-0.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.59 ₫15.1K
$0.71 ฿23.84
-16.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ₫13.3K
$0.49 ฿16.38
6.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.42 ₫36.7K
$4.14 ฿140
-65.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.66 ₫327.1K
$17.52 ฿592
-27.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.96 ₫24.9K
$1.61 ฿54.5
-40.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₫45.2K
$2.78 ฿94.0
-37.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Ha Dong
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 ₫8,122
$0.87 ฿29.33
-64.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.51 ₫168.2K
$54.1 ฿1,827
-87.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.74 ₫19.0K
$1.16 ฿39.08
-36.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 ₫15.5K
$0.53 ฿17.82
13.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.28 ₫58.9K
$2.42 ฿81.8
-5.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 ₫22.8K
$1.45 ฿48.93
-39.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.7K ₫793.9M
$21.1K ฿711.2K
45.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.4K ₫758.4M
$26.9K ฿909.8K
8.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ha Dong
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$86.7 ₫2.2M
$62.2 ฿2,100
39.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.38 ₫139.1K
$12.17 ฿411
-55.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.89 ₫229.6K
$20.12 ฿680
-55.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ha Dong
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$23.54 ₫608.1K
$37.31 ฿1,260
-36.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.69 ₫198.7K
$3.77 ฿127
103.98%
Cinema Ticket
$4.37 ₫112.8K
$6.49 ฿219
-32.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ha Dong
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$246 ₫6.4M
$736 ฿24.9K
-66.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.7K ₫327.5M
$14.8K ฿498.6K
-14.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ha Dong
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.83 ₫1.3M
$53.4 ฿1,802
-8.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.19 ₫676.6K
$24.64 ฿832
6.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.5 ₫2.2M
$91.5 ฿3,089
-8.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.9 ₫2.0M
$71.9 ฿2,429
9.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ha Dong
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$407 ₫10.5M
$482 ฿16.3K
-15.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$278 ₫7.2M
$309 ฿10.4K
-9.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$820 ₫21.2M
$1,006 ฿34.0K
-18.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$625 ₫16.2M
$633 ฿21.4K
-1.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,226 ₫57.5M
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-5.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,228 ₫31.7M
$1,589 ฿53.7K
-22.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ha Dong
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.28
5.57
48.65%

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

Last update for Ha Dong: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ha Dong
$278
Chiang Mai
$309 11.1% $31
Groceries & Markets
Ha Dong
$200
Chiang Mai
$234 17.2% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Ha Dong
$107
Chiang Mai
$109 1.7% $1.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ha Dong
$101
Chiang Mai
$94 6.4% $6.5
Eating Out
Ha Dong
$65
Chiang Mai
$78 20.2% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Ha Dong
$32
Chiang Mai
$50 55.8% $18
Getting Around
Ha Dong
$12
Chiang Mai
$61 433% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $407 in Ha Dong versus $482 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Ha Dong versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Ha Dong vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Ha Dong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇻🇳 Ha Dong
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
22:05 10:05 PM
22:05 10:05 PM
Same time as Ha Dong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
50,877
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,750 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ha Dong Chiang Mai 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ha Dong
  • 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
Ha Dong vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ha Dong or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Ha Dong, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ha Dong and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,191 per month in Ha Dong and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ha Dong or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ha Dong, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $407 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Ha Dong and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $246 per month in Ha Dong and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Ha Dong or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 17% 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.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Ha Dong – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Ha Dong compared to Chiang Mai?
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.

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