Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mui Ne and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Mui Ne: $736 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Mui Ne
Learn more

Mui Ne Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Mui Ne

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$736

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $736 per month in Mui Ne vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mui Ne $736
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,175 per month in Mui Ne vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mui Ne $1,175
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,615 per month in Mui Ne vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mui Ne $1,615
Chiang Mai $1,979

Mui Ne is about 21% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mui Ne and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Mui Ne 46% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.93 ₫50.0K

$2.24 ฿75.5

-13.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.28 ₫550.1K

$19.00 ฿640

12.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 ₫119.7K

$5.55 ฿187

-16.58%

Cappuccino

$1.79 ₫46.2K

$1.67 ฿56.4

7.19%

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

$0.47 ₫12.1K

$0.64 ฿21.51

-26.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₫7,862

$0.31 ฿10.29

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$2.36 ฿79.5

-58.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ₫40.7K

$3.66 ฿123

-57.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 ₫35.3K

$1.95 ฿65.7

-29.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 ₫24.4K

$1.44 ฿48.41

-34.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$1.33 ฿44.97

-28.57%

Eggs

$1.43 ₫36.9K

$2.28 ฿77.0

-37.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 ₫300.3K

$16.45 ฿554

-29.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 ₫94.8K

$2.78 ฿93.8

32.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 ₫260.3K

$9.31 ฿314

8.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ₫68.6K

$2.35 ฿79.3

12.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 ₫26.3K

$0.97 ฿32.75

5.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 ₫33.4K

$1.60 ฿53.8

-19.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ₫28.0K

$1.50 ฿50.6

-28.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ₫27.9K

$1.28 ฿43.06

-15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ₫26.1K

$1.10 ฿37.14

-8.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ₫17.8K

$0.71 ฿23.79

-2.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.5K

$0.49 ฿16.34

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.37 ₫35.5K

$4.14 ฿140

-66.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 ₫292.5K

$17.52 ฿590

-35.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₫20.8K

$1.61 ฿54.4

-49.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₫41.4K

$2.78 ฿93.8

-42.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₫8,894

$0.87 ฿29.27

-60.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.63 ₫171.3K

$54.1 ฿1,823

-87.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.2K

$1.16 ฿39.00

-39.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₫15.8K

$0.53 ฿17.78

15.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 ₫71.0K

$2.42 ฿81.6

13.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

$1.45 ฿48.82

-38.62%

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

$34.4K ₫890.4M

$21.1K ฿709.7K

63.54%

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

$32.1K ₫830.5M

$26.9K ฿907.9K

19.24%

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

$74.8 ₫1.9M

$62.2 ฿2,095

20.27%

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

$5.87 ₫151.7K

$12.17 ฿410

-51.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.82 ₫227.9K

$20.12 ฿678

-56.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.18 ₫573.3K

$37.31 ฿1,257

-40.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.49 ₫193.6K

$3.77 ฿127

98.67%

Cinema Ticket

$3.16 ₫81.7K

$6.49 ฿219

-51.31%

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

$268 ₫6.9M

$736 ฿24.8K

-63.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ₫304.3M

$14.8K ฿497.6K

-20.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.07 ₫1.1M

$53.4 ฿1,799

-23.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.78 ₫588.9K

$24.64 ฿830

-7.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 ₫2.2M

$91.5 ฿3,083

-6.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.5 ₫2.0M

$71.9 ฿2,424

4.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 ₫9.2M

$482 ฿16.3K

-26.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$252 ₫6.5M

$309 ฿10.4K

-18.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-27.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ₫14.0M

$633 ฿21.3K

-14.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,056 ₫53.1M

$2,363 ฿79.6K

-13.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,265 ₫32.7M

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-20.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

5.57

63.38%

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

Last update for Mui Ne: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mui Ne

$252 34.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 22.4% $57

Groceries & Markets

Mui Ne

$190 25.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 23.3% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Mui Ne

$101 13.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 7.3% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mui Ne

$89 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 5.6% $5

Eating Out

Mui Ne

$62 8.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 25.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Mui Ne

$29 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 76.4% $22

Getting Around

Mui Ne

$12 1.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 422% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $354 in Mui Ne versus $482 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 $21 in Mui Ne versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Mui Ne vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Mui Ne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Mui Ne

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

Same time as Mui Ne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 25,852 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,779 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mui Ne Chiang Mai 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mui Ne
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

Mui Ne vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 27% more than Mui Ne, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,103 per month in Mui Ne 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 Mui Ne, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $354 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $268 per month in Mui Ne and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $736 in Mui Ne and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mui Ne – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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