Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ha Long Bay and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Ha Long Bay: $759 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Ha Long Bay
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Ha Long Bay Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ha Long Bay

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$759

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $759 per month in Ha Long Bay vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ha Long Bay $759
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,224 per month in Ha Long Bay vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ha Long Bay $1,224
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,688 per month in Ha Long Bay vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ha Long Bay $1,688
Chiang Mai $1,903

Ha Long Bay is about 18% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ha Long Bay and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ha Long Bay 44% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ₫53.2K

$2.29 ฿77.2

-10.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.24 ₫497.1K

$19.64 ฿663

-2.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.35 ₫112.4K

$5.61 ฿189

-22.46%

Cappuccino

$1.60 ₫41.4K

$1.66 ฿56.1

-3.61%

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

$0.38 ₫9,810

$0.70 ฿23.62

-45.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₫9,088

$0.31 ฿10.33

12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ₫22.7K

$2.41 ฿81.2

-63.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$3.71 ฿125

-64.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ₫39.3K

$1.95 ฿65.9

-22.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₫29.0K

$1.41 ฿47.48

-20.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

$1.31 ฿44.04

-32.06%

Eggs

$1.13 ₫29.2K

$2.18 ฿73.6

-48.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ₫270.6K

$16.65 ฿562

-37.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ₫98.2K

$2.76 ฿93.1

37.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.88 ₫281.2K

$9.11 ฿307

19.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ₫75.9K

$2.39 ฿80.7

23.01%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 ₫24.2K

$1.03 ฿34.59

-8.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 ₫35.3K

$1.63 ฿54.9

-15.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.4K

$1.50 ฿50.5

-21.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 ₫25.3K

$1.29 ฿43.54

-24.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ₫29.2K

$1.11 ฿37.38

1.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₫16.8K

$0.72 ฿24.31

-9.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.53 ฿17.76

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.37 ₫35.5K

$4.31 ฿145

-68.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.37 ₫293.8K

$17.95 ฿605

-36.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₫22.4K

$1.58 ฿53.4

-44.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₫42.7K

$2.84 ฿95.9

-41.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₫8,888

$0.86 ฿29.14

-60.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.31 ₫163.2K

$53.3 ฿1,798

-88.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 ₫18.4K

$1.21 ฿40.67

-41.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₫15.7K

$0.57 ฿19.17

7.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 ₫70.0K

$2.35 ฿79.4

15.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ₫26.5K

$1.44 ฿48.42

-29.17%

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

$33.2K ₫858.7M

$20.7K ฿699.4K

60.30%

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

$30.2K ₫779.2M

$26.8K ฿904.2K

12.52%

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

$71.9 ₫1.9M

$62.3 ฿2,103

15.29%

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

$6.52 ₫168.4K

$12.11 ฿409

-46.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.58 ₫221.6K

$19.94 ฿673

-56.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.65 ₫585.3K

$37.07 ฿1,251

-38.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.89 ₫178.0K

$3.78 ฿127

82.28%

Cinema Ticket

$3.11 ₫80.3K

$6.50 ฿219

-52.15%

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

$191 ₫4.9M

$793 ฿26.7K

-75.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K ₫367.5M

$14.8K ฿499.6K

-3.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.88 ₫1.3M

$53.7 ฿1,813

-9.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.10 ₫674.5K

$24.62 ฿831

6.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 ₫2.0M

$90.9 ฿3,065

-13.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.3 ₫2.2M

$71.1 ฿2,400

19.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ₫10.0M

$455 ฿15.4K

-15.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 ₫7.0M

$298 ฿10.0K

-8.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 ₫22.8M

$908 ฿30.6K

-3.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₫15.8M

$554 ฿18.7K

10.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,009 ₫51.9M

$1,931 ฿65.1K

4.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,215 ₫31.4M

$1,445 ฿48.7K

-15.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿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 Long Bay: 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

Ha Long Bay

$272 35.8%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 9.7% $26

Groceries & Markets

Ha Long Bay

$194 25.5%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 21.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Ha Long Bay

$108 14.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 0.6% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ha Long Bay

$87 11.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 8.5% $7.4

Eating Out

Ha Long Bay

$59 7.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 33.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Ha Long Bay

$29 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 73.5% $21

Getting Around

Ha Long Bay

$11 1.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 431% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $386 in Ha Long Bay 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Ha Long Bay versus $20 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $235 – making Ha Long Bay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ha Long Bay

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

Same time as Ha Long Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

270,054

127,240

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 = 25,840 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,952 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.8 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ha Long Bay Chiang Mai 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ha Long Bay
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 Long Bay vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 22% more than Ha Long Bay, 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 $1,138 per month in Ha Long Bay 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 Ha Long Bay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $386 there versus $455 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $191 per month in Ha Long Bay and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% 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.

Families tend to lean toward Ha Long Bay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

For expats, Ha Long Bay is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 22% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.