Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Loei and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,005 in Loei, rent and utilities included – about $840 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Loei
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Loei Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Loei

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,005

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,005 per month in Loei vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Loei $1,005
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,612 per month in Loei vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Loei $1,612
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,220 per month in Loei vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Loei $2,220
Chiang Mai $1,999

Loei costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Loei and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Loei 26% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.28 ฿111

$2.13 ฿72.0

53.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.26 ฿886

$18.62 ฿628

41.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 ฿271

$5.60 ฿189

43.21%

Cappuccino

$2.15 ฿72.4

$1.66 ฿56.1

29.52%

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

$0.72 ฿24.41

$0.65 ฿21.83

10.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.75

$0.30 ฿10.29

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 ฿71.3

$2.32 ฿78.4

-9.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 ฿98.2

$3.67 ฿124

-20.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ฿65.1

$2.02 ฿68.0

-4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.41 ฿47.51

14.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$1.39 ฿46.96

7.19%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.7

$2.37 ฿79.9

-4.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.80 ฿634

$16.52 ฿557

13.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.28 ฿76.9

$2.67 ฿90.1

-14.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 ฿404

$9.02 ฿304

32.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$2.40 ฿80.9

24.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 ฿30.83

$1.04 ฿35.13

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿74.5

$1.66 ฿56.0

33.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ฿66.7

$1.56 ฿52.6

26.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿51.2

$1.24 ฿41.76

22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ฿42.91

$1.09 ฿36.66

16.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ฿33.84

$0.76 ฿25.70

31.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ฿15.32

$0.51 ฿17.35

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ฿128

$4.12 ฿139

-7.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 ฿632

$17.93 ฿605

4.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ฿55.7

$1.62 ฿54.8

1.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 ฿97.5

$2.82 ฿95.2

2.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 ฿27.48

$0.93 ฿31.53

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿45.51

$1.18 ฿39.70

14.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 ฿39.70

$0.17 ฿5.79

594.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.81 ฿61.1

128.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿42.74

$1.47 ฿49.69

-13.61%

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

$29.4K ฿991.5K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

39.85%

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

$27.1K ฿914.3K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

2.20%

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

$92.4 ฿3,118

$62.6 ฿2,111

47.73%

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

$9.86 ฿333

$11.60 ฿392

-15.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.50 ฿591

$20.30 ฿685

-13.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.98 ฿1,686

$37.88 ฿1,278

31.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.80 ฿466

$3.70 ฿125

272.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 ฿212

$6.51 ฿220

-3.38%

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

$697 ฿23.5K

$727 ฿24.5K

-4.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ฿583.3K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

4.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ฿1,900

$53.5 ฿1,807

5.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.06 ฿1,048

$24.80 ฿837

25.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 ฿2,606

$90.4 ฿3,050

-14.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 ฿2,485

$72.0 ฿2,428

2.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 ฿14.9K

$481 ฿16.2K

-8.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 ฿11.7K

$310 ฿10.5K

11.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 ฿38.9K

$1,058 ฿35.7K

8.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$784 ฿26.4K

$659 ฿22.2K

19.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,351 ฿79.3K

$2,418 ฿81.6K

-2.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,710 ฿57.7K

$1,609 ฿54.3K

6.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

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 Loei: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Loei

$347 34.5%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 10.6% $37

Groceries & Markets

Loei

$261 26%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 9.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Loei

$120 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 21.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Loei

$107 10.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 1% $1.1

Eating Out

Loei

$97 9.6%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 20.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Loei

$63 6.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 18.6% $12

Getting Around

Loei

$10 * 1%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 459% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $441 in Loei 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 $26 in Loei versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Loei

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

Same time as Loei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,677

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Loei Chiang Mai 320 km

From you

Loei
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

Loei vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Loei costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,507 per month in Loei and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $441 in Loei and $481 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Loei and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Loei, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,005 in Loei 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 $1,005 in Loei. 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.