Cost of Living Comparison Between Most and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Most and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,344 per month in Most vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,982 per month in Most vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,619 per month in Most vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Most costs about 55% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Most sits 0% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.42 Kč 196

$1.94 ฿63.6

385.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.07 Kč 919

$18.64 ฿609

136.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 Kč 192

$7.82 ฿256

17.90%

Cappuccino

$2.77 Kč 57.8

$1.95 ฿63.9

42.05%

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

$1.16 Kč 24.13

$0.85 ฿27.80

36.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 Kč 24.54

$0.35 ฿11.60

237.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.38 Kč 28.82

$2.13 ฿69.7

-35.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 Kč 54.5

$3.73 ฿122

-30.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 Kč 21.97

$1.71 ฿56.0

-38.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 Kč 30.99

$1.63 ฿53.3

-8.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 Kč 44.19

$1.14 ฿37.18

85.96%

Eggs

$2.95 Kč 61.6

$1.93 ฿63.2

52.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 Kč 273

$16.21 ฿530

-19.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 Kč 196

$3.12 ฿102

201.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.82 Kč 267

$10.90 ฿356

17.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 Kč 35.24

$2.75 ฿90.1

-38.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 Kč 35.80

$1.21 ฿39.56

42.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 Kč 44.96

$1.62 ฿53.0

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 Kč 41.65

$1.59 ฿51.9

25.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 Kč 27.44

$1.40 ฿45.75

-5.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 Kč 27.36

$1.17 ฿38.20

11.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 Kč 33.35

$0.66 ฿21.62

142.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Kč 15.11

$0.53 ฿17.24

35.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 Kč 141

$4.69 ฿153

44.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.04 Kč 147

$18.66 ฿610

-62.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 Kč 18.34

$1.80 ฿58.8

-51.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 Kč 37.55

$3.23 ฿106

-44.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 Kč 23.12

$0.90 ฿29.28

23.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.14 Kč 420

$19.21 ฿628

4.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 Kč 56.8

$1.41 ฿45.96

93.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 Kč 32.00

$1.29 ฿42.16

18.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.24 Kč 318

$7.84 ฿256

94.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 Kč 36.17

$1.27 ฿41.62

37.01%

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

$27.8K Kč 580.3K

$21.3K ฿695.5K

30.82%

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

$29.8K Kč 620.6K

$22.2K ฿726.1K

34.01%

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

$305 Kč 6,360

$69.1 ฿2,258

341.70%

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

$25.22 Kč 526

$14.08 ฿460

79.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.05 Kč 439

$18.00 ฿588

16.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 Kč 1,177

$41.06 ฿1,342

37.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.78 Kč 287

$6.96 ฿227

97.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 Kč 147

$5.92 ฿193

19.43%

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

$433 Kč 9,021

$299 ฿9,775

44.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K Kč 296.2K

$15.0K ฿488.8K

-4.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 Kč 1,838

$54.7 ฿1,788

61.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.10 Kč 857

$26.77 ฿875

53.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 Kč 2,076

$85.0 ฿2,778

17.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 Kč 2,282

$70.6 ฿2,308

55.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$325 Kč 6,773

$428 ฿14.0K

-24.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 Kč 7,236

$237 ฿7,759

46.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 Kč 11.5K

$801 ฿26.2K

-31.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 Kč 10.5K

$515 ฿16.9K

-1.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,528 Kč 94.4K

$1,975 ฿64.5K

129.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,284 Kč 68.5K

$1,475 ฿48.2K

122.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,191 Kč 24.8K

$617 ฿20.2K

92.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.56

11.20%

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

Last update for Most: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $325 in Most versus $428 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 93% higher in Most, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Most versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $246 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Most costs about 55% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $2,016 per month in Most and $1,300 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 $433 per month in Most and $299 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Most, 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 $866, than in Most at $1,344. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Most it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $866 versus $1,344 in Most. 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, Most makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.