Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maha Sarakham and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Maha Sarakham and in Chiang Mai: $925 and $935 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Maha Sarakham
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Maha Sarakham Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Maha Sarakham

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Maha Sarakham vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Maha Sarakham $925
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,533 per month in Maha Sarakham vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Maha Sarakham $1,533
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,140 per month in Maha Sarakham vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Maha Sarakham $2,140
Chiang Mai $1,999

Maha Sarakham and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Maha Sarakham and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Maha Sarakham 32% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ฿98.4

$2.13 ฿72.0

37.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.94 ฿943

$18.62 ฿628

50.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ฿253

$5.60 ฿189

33.93%

Cappuccino

$1.71 ฿57.8

$1.66 ฿56.1

3.01%

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

$0.60 ฿20.37

$0.65 ฿21.83

-7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.27

$0.30 ฿10.29

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.32 ฿78.4

-21.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿99.4

$3.67 ฿124

-19.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.6

$2.02 ฿68.0

-15.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ฿45.02

$1.41 ฿47.51

-5.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ฿47.67

$1.39 ฿46.96

1.44%

Eggs

$2.41 ฿81.3

$2.37 ฿79.9

1.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.68 ฿597

$16.52 ฿557

7.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.66 ฿89.6

$2.67 ฿90.1

-0.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 ฿394

$9.02 ฿304

29.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ฿94.5

$2.40 ฿80.9

16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.29

$1.04 ฿35.13

6.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.66 ฿56.0

42.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 ฿58.9

$1.56 ฿52.6

12.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.31

$1.24 ฿41.76

3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿39.12

$1.09 ฿36.66

6.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ฿35.82

$0.76 ฿25.70

39.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ฿15.20

$0.51 ฿17.35

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 ฿146

$4.12 ฿139

4.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.25 ฿683

$17.93 ฿605

12.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ฿64.9

$1.62 ฿54.8

18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ฿88.3

$2.82 ฿95.2

-7.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.93 ฿31.53

-6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 ฿45.25

$1.18 ฿39.70

13.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 ฿39.28

$0.17 ฿5.79

582.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 ฿144

$1.81 ฿61.1

135.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.25

$1.47 ฿49.69

-10.88%

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

$27.1K ฿914.3K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

28.97%

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

$27.1K ฿914.5K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

2.22%

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

$93.9 ฿3,166

$62.6 ฿2,111

50.02%

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

$10.16 ฿343

$11.60 ฿392

-12.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.73 ฿565

$20.30 ฿685

-17.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.96 ฿1,450

$37.88 ฿1,278

13.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.62 ฿392

$3.70 ฿125

214.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.64 ฿190

$6.51 ฿220

-13.36%

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

$581 ฿19.6K

$727 ฿24.5K

-20.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K ฿522.7K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

-6.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 ฿1,536

$53.5 ฿1,807

-14.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.46 ฿1,028

$24.80 ฿837

22.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,852

$90.4 ฿3,050

-6.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 ฿2,751

$72.0 ฿2,428

13.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 ฿16.4K

$481 ฿16.2K

0.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,731

$310 ฿10.5K

-6.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 ฿41.1K

$1,058 ฿35.7K

15.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 ฿25.1K

$659 ฿22.2K

13.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,021 ฿68.2K

$2,418 ฿81.6K

-16.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,677 ฿56.6K

$1,609 ฿54.3K

4.24%

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 Maha Sarakham: 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

Maha Sarakham

$288 31.2%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 7.5% $22

Groceries & Markets

Maha Sarakham

$257 27.8%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 7.9% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maha Sarakham

$121 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 21.8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Maha Sarakham

$109 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 0.6% $0.6

Eating Out

Maha Sarakham

$85 9.2%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 10.1% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Maha Sarakham

$54 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 6.2% $3.3

Getting Around

Maha Sarakham

$11 * 1.2%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 451% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Maha Sarakham 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 $28 in Maha Sarakham versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Maha Sarakham

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

Same time as Maha Sarakham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,523

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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Highest

Between locations

Maha Sarakham Chiang Mai 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Maha Sarakham
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

Maha Sarakham vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Maha Sarakham 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 $485 in Maha Sarakham and $481 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Maha Sarakham and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $925 in Maha Sarakham and $935 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $925 in Maha Sarakham to $935 in Chiang Mai. 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.