Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampong Cham and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampong Cham: $528 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kampong Cham
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$528
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $528 per month in Kampong Cham vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Kampong Cham $528
  • Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $827 per month in Kampong Cham vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Kampong Cham $827
  • Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,126 per month in Kampong Cham vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Kampong Cham $1,126
  • Chiang Mai $1,914

Kampong Cham is about 44% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Kampong Cham and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Kampong Cham 61% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kampong Cham
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.55 ៛10.3K
$2.26 ฿75.4
12.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.86 ៛80.7K
$19.18 ฿641
3.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.85 ៛31.9K
$5.59 ฿187
40.43%
Cappuccino
$1.46 ៛5,924
$1.72 ฿57.6
-15.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ៛1,969
$0.64 ฿21.54
-25.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.45 ៛1,834
$0.33 ฿11.18
36.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.49 ៛1,970
$2.36 ฿78.7
-79.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 ៛6,176
$3.90 ฿130
-61.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kampong Cham
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.21 ៛8,987
$2.05 ฿68.6
7.80%
White Bread (500g)
$1.73 ៛7,035
$1.40 ฿46.70
23.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.88 ៛3,586
$1.28 ฿42.89
-31.25%
Eggs
$1.71 ៛6,955
$2.25 ฿75.3
-24.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.48 ៛62.9K
$16.94 ฿566
-8.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.98 ៛12.1K
$2.74 ฿91.6
8.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.22 ៛41.5K
$9.36 ฿313
9.19%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 ៛17.8K
$2.40 ฿80.3
82.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.22 ៛4,955
$1.01 ฿33.92
20.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.74 ៛15.2K
$1.61 ฿53.9
132.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.10 ៛4,469
$1.52 ฿50.7
-27.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.29 ៛5,237
$1.28 ฿42.90
0.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 ៛4,526
$1.11 ฿37.22
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 ៛5,300
$0.72 ฿24.09
80.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 ៛3,248
$0.52 ฿17.54
53.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.36 ៛5,508
$4.33 ฿145
-68.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.83 ៛31.8K
$17.73 ฿593
-55.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 ៛4,043
$1.63 ฿54.4
-38.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 ៛8,977
$2.85 ฿95.3
-22.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Kampong Cham
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.85 ฿28.31
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$53.9 ฿1,801
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.98 ៛8,038
$1.17 ฿39.18
69.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ៛4,158
$0.57 ฿19.00
78.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.95 ៛20.1K
$2.37 ฿79.2
108.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 ៛5,281
$1.45 ฿48.32
-10.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.5K ៛103.5M
$20.5K ฿684.3K
24.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.1K ៛89.9M
$26.5K ฿886.1K
-16.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kampong Cham
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$103 ៛420.4K
$62.3 ฿2,083
66.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.58 ៛22.7K
$12.27 ฿410
-54.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.22 ៛61.8K
$19.97 ฿668
-23.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kampong Cham
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$9.94 ៛40.4K
$37.91 ฿1,267
-73.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.76 ฿126
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.10 ៛20.7K
$6.71 ฿224
-23.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kampong Cham
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$277 ៛1.1M
$797 ฿26.6K
-65.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,463 ៛18.1M
$14.8K ฿495.7K
-69.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kampong Cham
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.11 ៛106.1K
$53.3 ฿1,780
-50.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$13.23 ៛53.7K
$25.05 ฿837
-47.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$67.8 ៛275.4K
$91.6 ฿3,062
-25.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.90 ៛182.4K
$73.5 ฿2,455
-38.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kampong Cham
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$464 ฿15.5K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$305 ฿10.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$915 ฿30.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$552 ฿18.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$1,912 ฿63.9K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,438 ฿48.1K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kampong Cham
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$595 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.2
5.57
65.17%

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

Last update for Kampong Cham: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kampong Cham
$238
Chiang Mai
$238 0.2% $0.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kampong Cham
$124
Chiang Mai
$95 23.9% $30
Eating Out
Kampong Cham
$71
Chiang Mai
$79 11.9% $8.4
Clothing & Footwear
Kampong Cham
$68
Chiang Mai
$110 60.1% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Kampong Cham
$20
Chiang Mai
$51 155% $31
Getting Around
Kampong Cham
$7.1 *
Chiang Mai
$61 764% $54
Accommodation & Living
Kampong Cham
- *
Chiang Mai
$305

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Kampong Cham versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Kampong Cham vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Kampong Cham wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇰🇭 Kampong Cham
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
17:48 5:48 PM
17:48 5:48 PM
Same time as Kampong Cham
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
118,242
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KHR – Cambodian Riel Converter

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4,062 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD). 1 EUR = 4,567 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kampong Cham Chiang Mai 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kampong Cham
  • 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
Kampong Cham vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kampong Cham or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 78% more than Kampong Cham, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kampong Cham and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $792 per month in Kampong Cham and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do dining costs compare in Kampong Cham and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Kampong Cham and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Kampong Cham or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 0% 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.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Kampong Cham or in Chiang Mai?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kampong Cham, where all-in costs run around $528, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Kampong Cham it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kampong Cham or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kampong Cham costs $528 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Kampong Cham compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Kampong Cham or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Kampong Cham. 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.

Kampong Cham vs other spots: cost of living compared

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