Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeonju and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,149 in Jeonju, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. The total is higher in Jeonju despite lower rent and utilities.

55

Cost of Living Index in Jeonju
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Jeonju Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Jeonju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,149

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,149 per month in Jeonju vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Jeonju $1,149
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,796 per month in Jeonju vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Jeonju $1,796
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,443 per month in Jeonju vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Jeonju $2,443
Chiang Mai $1,979

Jeonju costs about 23% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jeonju and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Jeonju 16% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.48 ₩9,930

$2.24 ฿75.7

233.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.90 ₩30.4K

$19.00 ฿642

20.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 ₩7,201

$5.55 ฿188

-2.16%

Cappuccino

$3.81 ₩5,052

$1.67 ฿56.6

128.14%

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

$1.12 ₩1,485

$0.64 ฿21.56

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₩814

$0.31 ฿10.32

96.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 ₩3,781

$2.36 ฿79.6

20.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 ₩5,524

$3.66 ฿124

13.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ₩2,851

$1.95 ฿65.8

10.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 ₩3,058

$1.44 ฿48.51

59.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 ₩4,136

$1.33 ฿45.07

134.59%

Eggs

$2.30 ₩3,054

$2.28 ฿77.1

0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 ₩14.6K

$16.45 ฿556

-33.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.53 ₩14.0K

$2.78 ฿94.0

278.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.57 ₩33.9K

$9.31 ฿314

174.65%

Apples (1kg)

$11.45 ₩15.2K

$2.35 ฿79.5

387.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,419

$0.97 ฿32.82

243.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.37 ₩11.1K

$1.60 ฿53.9

423.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 ₩6,123

$1.50 ฿50.7

207.33%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,220

$1.28 ฿43.15

384.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 ₩3,039

$1.10 ฿37.22

108.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 ₩3,861

$0.71 ฿23.84

309.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₩1,019

$0.49 ฿16.38

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.47 ₩4,607

$4.14 ฿140

-16.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.83 ₩25.0K

$17.52 ฿592

7.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₩1,974

$1.61 ฿54.5

-7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 ₩4,654

$2.78 ฿94.0

26.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₩1,615

$0.87 ฿29.33

40.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 ₩4,407

$1.16 ฿39.08

186.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ₩1,010

$0.53 ฿17.82

43.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.74 ₩22.2K

$2.42 ฿81.8

591.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₩1,612

$1.45 ฿48.93

-16.55%

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

$39.1K ₩51.9M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

85.63%

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

$34.6K ₩46.0M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

28.56%

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

$72.0 ₩95.5K

$62.2 ฿2,100

15.81%

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

$30.65 ₩40.7K

$12.17 ฿411

151.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.49 ₩36.5K

$20.12 ฿680

36.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 ₩15.9K

$6.49 ฿219

84.59%

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

$638 ₩846.6K

$736 ฿24.9K

-13.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.2M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

48.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₩138.7K

$53.4 ฿1,802

95.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ₩86.1K

$24.64 ฿832

163.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.53 ₩59.1K

$91.5 ฿3,089

-51.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.95 ₩50.4K

$71.9 ฿2,429

-47.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₩352.3K

$482 ฿16.3K

-44.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 ₩344.3K

$309 ฿10.4K

-16.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₩609.8K

$633 ฿21.4K

-27.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,295 ₩3.0M

$590 ฿19.9K

289.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.57

-24.24%

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

Last update for Jeonju: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Jeonju

$458 39.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 48.9% $224

Accommodation & Living

Jeonju

$259 22.6%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 19.1% $49

Eating Out

Jeonju

$151 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 48.7% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jeonju

$130 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 27.4% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Jeonju

$113 9.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 4.2% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Jeonju

$24 * 2.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 110% $26

Getting Around

Jeonju

$12 * 1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 411% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $266 in Jeonju 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 Jeonju are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Jeonju versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Jeonju

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:34 5:34 PM

15:34 3:34 PM

2 h behind Jeonju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

653,387

127,240

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,327 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD). 1 EUR = 1,477 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.77 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).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Jeonju Chiang Mai 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Jeonju
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

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

Jeonju costs about 23% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,723 per month in Jeonju 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 Jeonju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $266 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Jeonju and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 96% more in Jeonju, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,149 in Jeonju and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,149 in Jeonju. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Jeonju makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.