Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phi Phi and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,062 in Koh Phi Phi, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phi Phi
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Koh Phi Phi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Koh Phi Phi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$2,062

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,062 per month in Koh Phi Phi vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Koh Phi Phi $2,062
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,686 per month in Koh Phi Phi vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Koh Phi Phi $3,686
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,310 per month in Koh Phi Phi vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Koh Phi Phi $5,310
Chiang Mai $1,999

Koh Phi Phi costs about 120% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Koh Phi Phi sits 53% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.56 ฿221

$2.13 ฿71.8

207.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.53 ฿1,632

$18.62 ฿626

160.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.05 ฿439

$5.60 ฿188

133.04%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ฿143

$1.66 ฿55.9

155.42%

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

$1.42 ฿47.62

$0.65 ฿21.75

118.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ฿25.57

$0.30 ฿10.25

153.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 ฿124

$2.32 ฿78.1

58.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 ฿192

$3.67 ฿123

55.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.9

$2.02 ฿67.8

1.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$1.41 ฿47.34

23.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 ฿64.0

$1.39 ฿46.79

36.69%

Eggs

$2.53 ฿85.2

$2.37 ฿79.6

6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.28 ฿783

$16.52 ฿555

40.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.95 ฿133

$2.67 ฿89.8

47.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.40 ฿451

$9.02 ฿303

48.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 ฿119

$2.40 ฿80.6

47.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 ฿65.4

$1.04 ฿35.01

87.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 ฿90.0

$1.66 ฿55.8

61.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 ฿83.3

$1.56 ฿52.4

58.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 ฿60.3

$1.24 ฿41.61

44.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ฿55.2

$1.09 ฿36.53

50.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 ฿45.35

$0.76 ฿25.61

77.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ฿21.06

$0.51 ฿17.29

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ฿172

$4.12 ฿139

24.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.54 ฿758

$17.93 ฿603

25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 ฿74.4

$1.62 ฿54.6

36.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 ฿115

$2.82 ฿94.9

20.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.93 ฿31.42

118.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 ฿2,640

$52.9 ฿1,778

48.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ฿69.2

$1.18 ฿39.56

74.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.68

$0.17 ฿5.76

523.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 ฿179

$1.81 ฿60.9

194.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿69.4

$1.47 ฿49.51

40.14%

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

$37.4K ฿1.3M

$21.0K ฿706.4K

78.06%

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

$36.7K ฿1.2M

$26.5K ฿891.4K

38.43%

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

$107 ฿3,608

$62.6 ฿2,103

71.55%

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

$12.35 ฿415

$11.60 ฿390

6.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.80 ฿632

$20.30 ฿683

-7.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.2 ฿2,663

$37.88 ฿1,274

109.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.05 ฿439

$3.70 ฿124

252.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 ฿303

$6.51 ฿219

38.25%

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

$629 ฿21.2K

$727 ฿24.4K

-13.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K ฿762.0K

$16.6K ฿557.2K

36.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 ฿2,193

$53.5 ฿1,800

21.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.28 ฿1,018

$24.80 ฿834

22.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ฿3,369

$90.4 ฿3,039

10.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.1 ฿3,061

$72.0 ฿2,420

26.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 ฿53.0K

$481 ฿16.2K

227.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 ฿37.0K

$310 ฿10.4K

254.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,325 ฿145.4K

$1,058 ฿35.6K

308.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,154 ฿106.0K

$659 ฿22.1K

378.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,241 ฿310.7K

$2,418 ฿81.3K

282.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,228 ฿243.0K

$1,609 ฿54.1K

349.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Koh Phi Phi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Phi Phi

$1.1K 53.4%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 71.8% $790

Groceries & Markets

Koh Phi Phi

$322 15.6%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 26.6% $86

Eating Out

Koh Phi Phi

$181 8.8%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 57.7% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Phi Phi

$138 6.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 31.8% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Phi Phi

$129 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 16.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Phi Phi

$97 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 47.6% $46

Getting Around

Koh Phi Phi

$94 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 37.6% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,576 in Koh Phi Phi versus $481 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Koh Phi Phi versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Phi Phi

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:43 1:43 AM

Same time as Koh Phi Phi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,500

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Koh Phi Phi Chiang Mai 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Koh Phi Phi
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

Koh Phi Phi vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Phi Phi costs about 120% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,093 per month in Koh Phi Phi 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,576 in Koh Phi Phi.

Kindergarten costs $629 per month in Koh Phi Phi and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Koh Phi Phi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,062 in Koh Phi Phi and $935 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $2,062 in Koh Phi Phi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 55% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.