Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamrun and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamrun and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,588 per month in Hamrun vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,666 per month in Hamrun vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,743 per month in Hamrun vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Hamrun costs about 84% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Hamrun sits 19% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.96

$1.96 ฿65.9

772.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 €65.5

$18.35 ฿617

307.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.38 €8.20

$7.48 ฿252

25.40%

Cappuccino

$1.85 €1.62

$2.02 ฿67.8

-8.42%

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

$2.21 €1.93

$0.85 ฿28.52

160.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.40

$0.36 ฿11.97

344.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 €2.47

$2.14 ฿71.9

31.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$3.59 ฿121

-42.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.14

$1.65 ฿55.5

-21.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.13

$1.57 ฿52.7

-17.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.19 ฿40.05

255.46%

Eggs

$4.49 €3.93

$1.94 ฿65.1

131.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 €9.01

$16.19 ฿545

-36.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.58 €8.39

$2.99 ฿101

220.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 €12.30

$10.94 ฿368

28.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.43 €3.88

$2.71 ฿91.2

63.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.20 €2.80

$1.17 ฿39.27

173.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 €2.83

$1.69 ฿56.8

91.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 €3.34

$1.60 ฿54.0

138.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.28

$1.38 ฿46.56

88.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.20 ฿40.47

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 €2.12

$0.67 ฿22.51

261.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.10

$0.56 ฿18.74

123.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.64 ฿156

41.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 €7.43

$17.62 ฿593

-51.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.86 ฿62.6

-0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.04

$3.30 ฿111

-29.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.06

$0.88 ฿29.70

168.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 €5.05

$1.36 ฿45.92

325.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.90

$1.34 ฿45.00

-23.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.0 €43.75

$8.21 ฿276

509.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.22 ฿41.20

29.51%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

82.56%

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

$38.2K €33.4K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

69.65%

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

$92.7 €81.1

$70.7 ฿2,378

31.13%

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

$28.81 €25.21

$14.04 ฿472

105.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.19 €25.54

$17.49 ฿589

66.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 €54.7

$42.15 ฿1,418

48.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.51 €20.57

$6.88 ฿231

241.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 €9.13

$5.92 ฿199

76.18%

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

$422 €369

$309 ฿10.4K

36.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,797

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-24.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.0 €80.5

$55.8 ฿1,876

65.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.20 €33.42

$26.11 ฿879

46.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €91.9

$83.0 ฿2,793

26.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €90.3

$70.5 ฿2,371

46.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 €610

$432 ฿14.5K

61.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 €547

$239 ฿8,040

161.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 €1,427

$822 ฿27.7K

98.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 €1,225

$512 ฿17.2K

173.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,793 €2,444

$1,915 ฿64.4K

45.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,251 €1,969

$1,467 ฿49.4K

53.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.7

-46.00%

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

Last update for Hamrun: July 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $697 in Hamrun versus $432 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 $75.0 in Hamrun versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Hamrun costs about 84% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,382 per month in Hamrun and $1,292 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Hamrun and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Hamrun, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $861, than in Hamrun at $1,588. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamrun it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $861 versus $1,588 in Hamrun. 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, Hamrun makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.