Cost of Living Comparison Between Hat Yai and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Hat Yai and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $753 per month in Hat Yai vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,336 per month in Hat Yai vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,918 per month in Hat Yai vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Hat Yai is about 12% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Hat Yai and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Hat Yai 44% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.15 ฿102

$1.96 ฿63.6

60.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.81 ฿1,522

$18.81 ฿611

148.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.35 ฿141

$7.92 ฿258

-45.08%

Cappuccino

$2.68 ฿87.1

$1.91 ฿62.2

40.31%

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

$1.16 ฿37.55

$0.84 ฿27.25

38.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ฿14.41

$0.35 ฿11.44

25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 ฿59.1

$2.21 ฿71.7

-17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿123

$3.80 ฿124

-0.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿48.92

$1.64 ฿53.2

-8.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ฿41.50

$1.62 ฿52.8

-20.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.33

$1.18 ฿38.40

12.71%

Eggs

$2.46 ฿80.1

$2.01 ฿65.4

22.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.82 ฿742

$15.89 ฿517

43.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.36 ฿76.8

$3.01 ฿98.0

-21.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 ฿383

$10.77 ฿350

9.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 ฿86.5

$2.61 ฿85.0

1.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.30

$1.22 ฿39.65

16.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 ฿63.6

$1.70 ฿55.4

15.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.3

$1.58 ฿51.2

-1.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.85

$1.32 ฿42.89

15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿34.69

$1.17 ฿38.01

-8.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ฿48.75

$0.67 ฿21.85

123.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.70

$0.56 ฿18.21

-35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 ฿148

$4.53 ฿147

0.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 ฿498

$18.20 ฿592

-15.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.4

$1.83 ฿59.6

-1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ฿64.1

$3.23 ฿105

-39.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ฿20.63

$0.89 ฿28.83

-29.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿630

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿34.41

$1.35 ฿43.95

-21.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 ฿37.60

$1.35 ฿43.79

-14.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 ฿197

$8.25 ฿268

-26.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿42.34

$1.27 ฿41.40

2.36%

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

$19.5K ฿633.4K

$21.2K ฿687.8K

-7.91%

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

$46.3K ฿1.5M

$22.5K ฿731.0K

105.77%

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

$87.3 ฿2,838

$70.2 ฿2,281

24.43%

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

$13.48 ฿438

$13.77 ฿448

-2.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.85 ฿320

$17.60 ฿572

-44.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.18 ฿1,599

$41.57 ฿1,352

18.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 ฿390

$6.60 ฿215

81.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 ฿238

$5.78 ฿188

26.82%

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

$294 ฿9,562

$306 ฿9,953

-3.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,758 ฿317.2K

$14.8K ฿482.0K

-34.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.00 ฿1,268

$54.4 ฿1,768

-28.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.31 ฿888

$26.14 ฿850

4.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 ฿2,321

$84.5 ฿2,748

-15.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 ฿2,322

$69.4 ฿2,257

2.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ฿9,011

$424 ฿13.8K

-34.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 ฿3,728

$238 ฿7,743

-51.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ฿24.5K

$825 ฿26.8K

-8.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 ฿13.1K

$515 ฿16.7K

-21.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,198 ฿71.5K

$2,049 ฿66.6K

7.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,351 ฿43.9K

$1,523 ฿49.5K

-11.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$473 ฿15.4K

$635 ฿20.6K

-25.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

27.20%

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

Last update for Hat Yai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Hat Yai versus $424 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 run about 34% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Hat Yai versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 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

Hat Yai vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 13% more than Hat Yai, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,130 per month in Hat Yai and $1,278 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hat Yai, 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 $47.00 in Hat Yai and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $753 in Hat Yai and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hat Yai costs $753 versus $852 in Chiang Mai. 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 Hat Yai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.