Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ha Long and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Ha Long: $779 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

37

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

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ha Long

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$779

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $779 per month in Ha Long vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ha Long $779
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,242 per month in Ha Long vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ha Long $1,242
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,705 per month in Ha Long vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ha Long $1,705
Chiang Mai $1,979

Ha Long is about 17% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ha Long and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ha Long 43% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.99 ₫51.4K

$2.24 ฿75.5

-11.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.06 ₫492.8K

$19.00 ฿640

0.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 ₫113.7K

$5.55 ฿187

-20.72%

Cappuccino

$1.71 ₫44.3K

$1.67 ฿56.4

2.40%

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

$0.52 ₫13.4K

$0.64 ฿21.51

-18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₫7,881

$0.31 ฿10.29

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ₫22.3K

$2.36 ฿79.5

-63.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ₫38.7K

$3.66 ฿123

-59.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ₫38.7K

$1.95 ฿65.7

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₫27.7K

$1.44 ฿48.41

-25.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$1.33 ฿44.97

-22.56%

Eggs

$1.55 ₫40.1K

$2.28 ฿77.0

-32.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.02 ₫310.8K

$16.45 ฿554

-26.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 ₫96.0K

$2.78 ฿93.8

33.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 ₫254.3K

$9.31 ฿314

5.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 ₫78.5K

$2.35 ฿79.3

29.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.97 ฿32.75

9.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.9K

$1.60 ฿53.8

-18.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.7K

$1.50 ฿50.6

-18.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.6K

$1.28 ฿43.06

-22.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$1.10 ฿37.14

-0.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₫16.0K

$0.71 ฿23.79

-12.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.49 ฿16.34

12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.39 ₫35.9K

$4.14 ฿140

-66.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.37 ₫293.9K

$17.52 ฿590

-35.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₫23.0K

$1.61 ฿54.4

-44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₫43.2K

$2.78 ฿93.8

-39.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₫8,882

$0.87 ฿29.27

-60.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.42 ₫166.0K

$54.1 ฿1,823

-88.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$1.16 ฿39.00

-37.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₫15.6K

$0.53 ฿17.78

13.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 ₫65.6K

$2.42 ฿81.6

4.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 ₫24.1K

$1.45 ฿48.82

-35.86%

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

$30.3K ₫782.7M

$21.1K ฿709.7K

43.78%

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

$28.2K ₫729.9M

$26.9K ฿907.9K

4.79%

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

$77.0 ₫2.0M

$62.2 ฿2,095

23.87%

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

$5.70 ₫147.2K

$12.17 ฿410

-53.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.93 ₫230.9K

$20.12 ฿678

-55.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.86 ₫590.9K

$37.31 ฿1,257

-38.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.58 ₫195.9K

$3.77 ฿127

101.06%

Cinema Ticket

$3.31 ₫85.5K

$6.49 ฿219

-49.00%

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

$185 ₫4.8M

$736 ฿24.8K

-74.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K ₫351.9M

$14.8K ฿497.6K

-7.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.16 ₫1.2M

$53.4 ฿1,799

-13.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.56 ₫686.6K

$24.64 ฿830

7.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 ₫2.1M

$91.5 ฿3,083

-9.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.3 ₫2.0M

$71.9 ฿2,424

10.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 ₫10.6M

$482 ฿16.3K

-15.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 ₫7.3M

$309 ฿10.4K

-8.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₫21.1M

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-18.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₫15.9M

$633 ฿21.3K

-2.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,231 ₫57.7M

$2,363 ฿79.6K

-5.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,200 ₫31.0M

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-24.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$231 ₫6.0M

$590 ฿19.9K

-60.85%

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: 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 Long

$283 36.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 9.2% $26

Groceries & Markets

Ha Long

$198 25.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 18.4% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Ha Long

$106 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 2.9% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ha Long

$92 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 3.1% $2.8

Eating Out

Ha Long

$60 7.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 28.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Ha Long

$29 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 70.6% $21

Getting Around

Ha Long

$12 1.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 431% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $409 in Ha Long 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.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Ha Long versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $234 – making Ha Long the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ha Long

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

Same time as Ha Long

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

270,054

127,240

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 25,852 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,849 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

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

Chiang Mai costs about 20% more than Ha Long, 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 $1,169 per month in Ha Long 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 Ha Long, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $409 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Public transport costs about 88% less in Ha Long. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $779 in Ha Long and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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 Ha Long. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.