Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampong Thom and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampong Thom: $627 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kampong Thom, Cambodia
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Kampong Thom
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$627
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $627 per month in Kampong Thom vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Kampong Thom $627
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,019 per month in Kampong Thom vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Kampong Thom $1,019
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,410 per month in Kampong Thom vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Kampong Thom $1,410
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Kampong Thom is about 33% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Kampong Thom and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Kampong Thom 54% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kampong Thom
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.44 ៛18.1K
$2.24 ฿75.7
98.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.53 ៛165.4K
$19.00 ฿642
113.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.84 ៛27.9K
$5.55 ฿188
23.24%
Cappuccino
$2.82 ៛11.5K
$1.67 ฿56.6
68.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 ៛6,976
$0.64 ฿21.56
167.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.61 ៛2,489
$0.31 ฿10.32
96.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.99 ៛4,021
$2.36 ฿79.6
-58.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 ៛12.4K
$3.66 ฿124
-16.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kampong Thom
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.18 ៛8,913
$1.95 ฿65.8
11.79%
White Bread (500g)
$1.66 ៛6,768
$1.44 ฿48.51
15.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.08 ៛4,400
$1.33 ฿45.07
-18.80%
Eggs
$1.80 ៛7,331
$2.28 ฿77.1
-21.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.53 ៛59.3K
$16.45 ฿556
-11.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.53 ៛18.5K
$2.78 ฿94.0
62.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.46 ៛38.6K
$9.31 ฿314
1.61%
Apples (1kg)
$4.20 ៛17.1K
$2.35 ฿79.5
78.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ៛6,919
$0.97 ฿32.82
75.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.65 ៛19.0K
$1.60 ฿53.9
190.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.99 ៛8,112
$1.50 ฿50.7
32.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 ៛7,308
$1.28 ฿43.15
39.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.22 ៛4,994
$1.10 ฿37.22
10.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 ៛5,392
$0.71 ฿23.84
85.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ៛3,125
$0.49 ฿16.38
57.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.86 ៛7,582
$4.14 ฿140
-55.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.17 ៛45.6K
$17.52 ฿592
-36.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 ៛4,092
$1.61 ฿54.5
-37.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ៛7,013
$2.78 ฿94.0
-38.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Kampong Thom
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.87 ฿29.33
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.1 ฿1,827
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.09 ៛4,461
$1.16 ฿39.08
-6.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.97 ៛3,970
$0.53 ฿17.82
83.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.91 ៛20.0K
$2.42 ฿81.8
102.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 ៛5,606
$1.45 ฿48.93
-5.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K ៛145.6M
$21.1K ฿711.2K
69.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.8K ៛178.9M
$26.9K ฿909.8K
62.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kampong Thom
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 ៛487.6K
$62.2 ฿2,100
92.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.48 ៛30.5K
$12.17 ฿411
-38.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.05 ៛102.2K
$20.12 ฿680
24.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kampong Thom
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$37.31 ฿1,260
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.77 ฿127
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.97 ៛20.3K
$6.49 ฿219
-23.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kampong Thom
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$597 ៛2.4M
$736 ฿24.9K
-18.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K ៛44.5M
$14.8K ฿498.6K
-26.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kampong Thom
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$27.52 ៛112.3K
$53.4 ฿1,802
-48.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.75 ៛96.9K
$24.64 ฿832
-3.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.7 ៛374.4K
$91.5 ฿3,089
0.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.0 ៛244.9K
$71.9 ฿2,429
-16.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kampong Thom
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$482 ฿16.3K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$309 ฿10.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,006 ฿34.0K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$633 ฿21.4K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,589 ฿53.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kampong Thom
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.94
5.57
42.55%

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

Last update for Kampong Thom: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kampong Thom
$257
Chiang Mai
$234 8.9% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kampong Thom
$152
Chiang Mai
$94 37.9% $58
Eating Out
Kampong Thom
$110
Chiang Mai
$78 29.6% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Kampong Thom
$91
Chiang Mai
$109 18.9% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Kampong Thom
$10 *
Chiang Mai
$50 405% $40
Getting Around
Kampong Thom
$6 *
Chiang Mai
$61 930% $55
Accommodation & Living
Kampong Thom
- *
Chiang Mai
$309

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 $41 in Kampong Thom versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇭 Kampong Thom
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
04:51 4:51 AM
04:51 4:51 AM
Same time as Kampong Thom
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
19,951
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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,081 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.45 USD). 1 EUR = 4,543 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kampong Thom Chiang Mai 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kampong Thom
  • 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 Thom vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kampong Thom or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 49% more than Kampong Thom, 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 Thom and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $940 per month in Kampong Thom and $1,403 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 Thom and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $41 in Kampong Thom and $19 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 Thom or in Chiang Mai?
Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Kampong Thom or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $627 in Kampong Thom to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Kampong Thom compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Kampong Thom vs other spots: cost of living compared

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