Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Samui and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,176 in Koh Samui, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
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Koh Samui Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,176

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,176 per month in Koh Samui vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Koh Samui $1,176
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,957 per month in Koh Samui vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Koh Samui $1,957
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,737 per month in Koh Samui vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Koh Samui $2,737
Chiang Mai $1,914

Koh Samui costs about 25% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Koh Samui and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Koh Samui 13% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$2.26 ฿75.4

102.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.92 ฿1,100

$19.18 ฿641

71.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.45 ฿282

$5.59 ฿187

51.16%

Cappuccino

$2.82 ฿94.2

$1.72 ฿57.6

63.95%

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

$0.90 ฿30.10

$0.64 ฿21.54

40.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.49

$0.33 ฿11.18

39.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿84.0

$2.36 ฿78.7

6.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿126

$3.90 ฿130

-3.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$2.05 ฿68.6

-19.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.46

$1.40 ฿46.70

3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.28 ฿42.89

18.75%

Eggs

$2.15 ฿71.9

$2.25 ฿75.3

-4.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿655

$16.94 ฿566

15.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 ฿113

$2.74 ฿91.6

23.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.12 ฿372

$9.36 ฿313

18.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.4

$2.40 ฿80.3

22.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.2

$1.01 ฿33.92

60.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 ฿74.8

$1.61 ฿53.9

39.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.52 ฿50.7

40.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿49.15

$1.28 ฿42.90

14.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.48

$1.11 ฿37.22

22.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.70

$0.72 ฿24.09

48.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.28

$0.52 ฿17.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 ฿141

$4.33 ฿145

-2.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.75 ฿627

$17.73 ฿593

5.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.63 ฿54.4

6.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.1

$2.85 ฿95.3

-1.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.85 ฿28.31

143.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.70 ฿1,494

$53.9 ฿1,801

-17.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 ฿107

$1.17 ฿39.18

173.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 ฿37.09

$0.57 ฿19.00

94.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿129

$2.37 ฿79.2

63.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.45 ฿48.32

4.14%

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

$28.2K ฿942.7K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

37.77%

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

$27.8K ฿928.1K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

4.74%

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

$104 ฿3,459

$62.3 ฿2,083

66.07%

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

$11.87 ฿397

$12.27 ฿410

-3.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.04 ฿603

$19.97 ฿668

-9.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 ฿1,818

$37.91 ฿1,267

43.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.61 ฿388

$3.76 ฿126

208.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.19 ฿274

$6.71 ฿224

22.06%

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

$603 ฿20.1K

$797 ฿26.6K

-24.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ฿420.9K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-15.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 ฿2,075

$53.3 ฿1,780

16.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.12 ฿973

$25.05 ฿837

16.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 ฿3,180

$91.6 ฿3,062

3.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 ฿2,907

$73.5 ฿2,455

18.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$627 ฿21.0K

$464 ฿15.5K

35.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ฿13.3K

$305 ฿10.2K

30.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,778 ฿59.4K

$915 ฿30.6K

94.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 ฿34.5K

$552 ฿18.5K

86.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,979 ฿99.6K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

55.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,113 ฿70.6K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

46.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$398 ฿13.3K

$595 ฿19.9K

-33.19%

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 Samui: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Samui

$397 33.8%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 23.3% $92

Groceries & Markets

Koh Samui

$268 22.8%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 11.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Samui

$133 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 29.1% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Samui

$123 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 11% $14

Eating Out

Koh Samui

$121 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 34.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Samui

$71 6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 27.5% $19

Getting Around

Koh Samui

$62 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 0.7% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $627 in Koh Samui versus $464 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 run about 50% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Koh Samui versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:53 10:53 PM

Same time as Koh Samui

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,110

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Koh Samui Chiang Mai 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Koh Samui costs about 25% 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 $1,764 per month in Koh Samui and $1,408 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $603 per month in Koh Samui and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Koh Samui, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Koh Samui at $1,176. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Koh Samui it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,176 in Koh Samui. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Koh Samui makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.