Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nam Dinh and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Nam Dinh: $781 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Nam Dinh
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Nam Dinh Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Nam Dinh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$781

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $781 per month in Nam Dinh vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nam Dinh $781
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,277 per month in Nam Dinh vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nam Dinh $1,277
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,774 per month in Nam Dinh vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nam Dinh $1,774
Chiang Mai $1,999

Nam Dinh is about 17% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nam Dinh and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Nam Dinh 42% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ₫53.1K

$2.13 ฿71.8

-3.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.02 ₫593.1K

$18.62 ฿626

23.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 ₫114.9K

$5.60 ฿188

-20.36%

Cappuccino

$1.94 ₫50.0K

$1.66 ฿55.9

16.87%

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

$0.51 ₫13.2K

$0.65 ฿21.75

-21.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,566

$0.30 ฿10.25

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 ₫29.6K

$2.32 ฿78.1

-50.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₫50.9K

$3.67 ฿123

-46.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₫40.4K

$2.02 ฿67.8

-22.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫26.7K

$1.41 ฿47.34

-26.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 ₫19.3K

$1.39 ฿46.79

-46.04%

Eggs

$1.48 ₫38.1K

$2.37 ฿79.6

-37.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 ₫316.1K

$16.52 ฿555

-25.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 ₫92.5K

$2.67 ฿89.8

34.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 ₫248.7K

$9.02 ฿303

7.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 ₫82.7K

$2.40 ฿80.6

33.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.4K

$1.04 ฿35.01

-0.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ₫34.8K

$1.66 ฿55.8

-18.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 ₫27.6K

$1.56 ฿52.4

-31.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 ₫23.3K

$1.24 ฿41.61

-27.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$1.09 ฿36.53

9.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ₫15.1K

$0.76 ฿25.61

-22.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.5K

$0.51 ฿17.29

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.37 ₫35.3K

$4.12 ฿139

-66.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 ₫282.3K

$17.93 ฿603

-38.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₫22.4K

$1.62 ฿54.6

-46.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₫41.1K

$2.82 ฿94.9

-43.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₫9,447

$0.93 ฿31.42

-60.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.43 ₫191.3K

$52.9 ฿1,778

-85.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 ₫22.9K

$1.18 ฿39.56

-24.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₫15.4K

$0.17 ฿5.76

252.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 ₫59.3K

$1.81 ฿60.9

27.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₫23.0K

$1.47 ฿49.51

-39.46%

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

$30.7K ₫789.8M

$21.0K ฿706.4K

45.91%

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

$29.5K ₫759.3M

$26.5K ฿891.4K

11.16%

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

$84.8 ₫2.2M

$62.6 ฿2,103

35.47%

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

$4.99 ₫128.6K

$11.60 ฿390

-56.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.53 ₫219.9K

$20.30 ฿683

-57.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.73 ₫534.0K

$37.88 ฿1,274

-45.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.37 ₫215.7K

$3.70 ฿124

126.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 ₫116.9K

$6.51 ฿219

-30.26%

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

$330 ₫8.5M

$727 ฿24.4K

-54.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.4K ₫758.1M

$16.6K ฿557.2K

77.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.34 ₫1.2M

$53.5 ฿1,800

-15.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ₫749.0K

$24.80 ฿834

17.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 ₫2.1M

$90.4 ฿3,039

-8.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.6 ₫1.9M

$72.0 ฿2,420

3.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 ₫10.5M

$481 ฿16.2K

-14.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₫7.1M

$310 ฿10.4K

-11.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$696 ₫17.9M

$1,058 ฿35.6K

-34.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₫16.7M

$659 ฿22.1K

-1.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,241 ₫57.7M

$2,418 ฿81.3K

-7.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,190 ₫30.7M

$1,609 ฿54.1K

-26.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.17

5.57

46.68%

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

Last update for Nam Dinh: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nam Dinh

$274 35.1%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 13.1% $36

Groceries & Markets

Nam Dinh

$195 25%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 21.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Nam Dinh

$104 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 4.1% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nam Dinh

$98 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 3.9% $3.8

Eating Out

Nam Dinh

$66 8.5%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 15.5% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Nam Dinh

$30 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 70.7% $21

Getting Around

Nam Dinh

$13 1.6%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 359% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $409 in Nam Dinh 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 $23 in Nam Dinh versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $195 in Nam Dinh vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Nam Dinh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Nam Dinh

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:45 8:45 PM

Same time as Nam Dinh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

179,229

127,240

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,880 VND (100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nam Dinh Chiang Mai 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nam Dinh
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

Nam Dinh vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 20% more than Nam Dinh, 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 $1,171 per month in Nam Dinh 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 Nam Dinh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $409 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $330 per month in Nam Dinh and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Nam Dinh – 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.