Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampong Thom and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampong Thom and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $595 per month in Kampong Thom vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $959 per month in Kampong Thom vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,322 per month in Kampong Thom vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kampong Thom is about 31% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Kampong Thom and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Kampong Thom 56% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.93 ៛19.7K

$1.98 ฿65.0

148.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.53 ៛122.4K

$18.80 ฿619

62.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.97 ៛27.9K

$7.75 ฿255

-10.06%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ៛10.6K

$1.92 ฿63.2

38.02%

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

$0.99 ៛3,977

$0.79 ฿26.07

25.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 ៛3,930

$0.36 ฿11.74

172.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 ៛6,168

$2.21 ฿72.9

-30.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ៛9,776

$3.66 ฿120

-33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ៛8,339

$1.65 ฿54.4

26.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ៛5,886

$1.63 ฿53.7

-9.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ៛3,925

$1.19 ฿39.28

-17.65%

Eggs

$1.75 ៛6,994

$2.00 ฿65.8

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.65 ៛50.7K

$15.98 ฿526

-20.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 ៛16.7K

$3.03 ฿99.6

37.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.30 ៛41.3K

$10.86 ฿357

-5.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 ៛17.8K

$2.76 ฿90.9

60.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ៛6,113

$1.18 ฿38.83

29.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 ៛15.7K

$1.64 ฿54.0

138.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ៛5,835

$1.52 ฿50.0

-3.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ៛6,991

$1.38 ฿45.59

26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ៛4,831

$1.19 ฿39.25

1.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ៛5,651

$0.70 ฿23.11

101.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ៛2,683

$0.56 ฿18.32

19.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ៛7,815

$4.58 ฿151

-57.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 ៛46.2K

$16.56 ฿545

-30.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ៛4,008

$1.83 ฿60.2

-45.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ៛6,724

$3.20 ฿105

-47.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿616

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ៛4,301

$1.36 ฿44.64

-21.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ៛4,125

$1.34 ฿44.12

-23.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 ៛18.3K

$7.84 ฿258

-41.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ៛4,693

$1.23 ฿40.35

-4.88%

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

$48.5K ៛194.4M

$21.6K ฿711.8K

124.27%

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

$36.7K ៛147.2M

$22.5K ฿742.2K

62.91%

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

$106 ៛425.8K

$70.5 ฿2,322

50.62%

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

$6.45 ៛25.8K

$13.68 ฿450

-52.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.43 ៛93.9K

$17.45 ฿574

34.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,361

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿229

Cinema Ticket

$4.37 ៛17.5K

$5.77 ฿190

-24.26%

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

$370 ៛1.5M

$307 ฿10.1K

20.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ៛46.6M

$14.6K ฿481.0K

-20.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.19 ៛88.9K

$55.8 ฿1,837

-60.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.03 ៛88.3K

$26.21 ฿863

-15.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 ៛359.7K

$85.8 ฿2,823

4.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.4 ៛290.3K

$72.2 ฿2,378

0.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,857

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿65.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.3

106.00%

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

Last update for Kampong Thom: June 6, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Kampong Thom versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $241 – 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

Kampong Thom vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 46% more than Kampong Thom, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $893 per month in Kampong Thom and $1,303 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Kampong Thom 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 1% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $595 in Kampong Thom and $869 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kampong Thom costs $595 versus $869 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 Kampong Thom. 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.