Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nakhon Si Thammarat and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,020 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Nakhon Si Thammarat
Learn more

Nakhon Si Thammarat Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Nakhon Si Thammarat

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,020

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,020 per month in Nakhon Si Thammarat vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nakhon Si Thammarat $1,020
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,680 per month in Nakhon Si Thammarat vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nakhon Si Thammarat $1,680
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,341 per month in Nakhon Si Thammarat vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nakhon Si Thammarat $2,341
Chiang Mai $1,999

Nakhon Si Thammarat costs about 9% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nakhon Si Thammarat and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Nakhon Si Thammarat 25% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 ฿99.3

$2.13 ฿72.0

38.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.46 ฿1,095

$18.62 ฿628

74.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.50 ฿287

$5.60 ฿189

51.79%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿94.6

$1.66 ฿56.1

68.67%

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

$0.94 ฿31.87

$0.65 ฿21.82

44.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.04

$0.30 ฿10.29

70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 ฿87.1

$2.32 ฿78.3

11.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿129

$3.67 ฿124

3.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.7

$2.02 ฿68.0

-18.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿47.07

$1.41 ฿47.49

-0.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.5

$1.39 ฿46.94

12.23%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.1

$2.37 ฿79.9

-8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.37 ฿653

$16.52 ฿557

17.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 ฿113

$2.67 ฿90.1

25.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ฿375

$9.02 ฿304

23.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$2.40 ฿80.9

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿54.3

$1.04 ฿35.12

54.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿77.6

$1.66 ฿56.0

38.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.9

$1.56 ฿52.6

32.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.24 ฿41.75

20.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.09 ฿36.65

26.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿37.25

$0.76 ฿25.70

44.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.11

$0.51 ฿17.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 ฿148

$4.12 ฿139

6.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.59 ฿627

$17.93 ฿605

3.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.62 ฿54.8

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 ฿96.5

$2.82 ฿95.2

1.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ฿25.53

$0.93 ฿31.52

-18.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$1.18 ฿39.69

26.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 ฿23.97

$0.17 ฿5.78

317.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿125

$1.81 ฿61.1

104.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.65

$1.47 ฿49.67

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

$26.2K ฿882.6K

$21.0K ฿708.7K

24.53%

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

$27.2K ฿918.6K

$26.5K ฿894.4K

2.71%

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

$97.4 ฿3,285

$62.6 ฿2,110

55.69%

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

$11.23 ฿379

$11.60 ฿391

-3.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$20.30 ฿685

-15.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.13 ฿1,623

$37.88 ฿1,278

27.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.52 ฿389

$3.70 ฿125

211.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.36 ฿248

$6.51 ฿220

13.06%

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

$528 ฿17.8K

$727 ฿24.5K

-27.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K ฿618.0K

$16.6K ฿559.0K

10.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,161

$53.5 ฿1,806

19.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.09 ฿948

$24.80 ฿836

13.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 ฿3,276

$90.4 ฿3,049

7.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,984

$72.0 ฿2,428

22.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 ฿14.1K

$481 ฿16.2K

-12.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 ฿10.9K

$310 ฿10.5K

4.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 ฿43.8K

$1,058 ฿35.7K

22.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ฿27.0K

$659 ฿22.2K

21.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,173 ฿73.3K

$2,418 ฿81.5K

-10.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,871 ฿63.1K

$1,609 ฿54.3K

16.31%

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 Nakhon Si Thammarat: 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

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$323 31.7%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 4% $13

Groceries & Markets

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$267 26.1%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 11.3% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$126 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 24.9% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$125 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 13.3% $17

Eating Out

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$109 10.7%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 29.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$63 6.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 19% $12

Getting Around

Nakhon Si Thammarat

$8.1 * 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 626% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $419 in Nakhon Si Thammarat 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 $32 in Nakhon Si Thammarat versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Nakhon Si Thammarat

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

Same time as Nakhon Si Thammarat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,152

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nakhon Si Thammarat Chiang Mai 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Nakhon Si Thammarat
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

Nakhon Si Thammarat vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nakhon Si Thammarat costs about 9% 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 $1,531 per month in Nakhon Si Thammarat 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 Nakhon Si Thammarat, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $419 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Nakhon Si Thammarat 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 13% more in Nakhon Si Thammarat, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,020 in Nakhon Si Thammarat 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 $1,020 in Nakhon Si Thammarat. 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.