Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ninh Binh and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Ninh Binh: $734 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 Ninh Binh
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Ninh Binh Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ninh Binh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$734

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $734 per month in Ninh Binh vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ninh Binh $734
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,173 per month in Ninh Binh vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ninh Binh $1,173
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,612 per month in Ninh Binh vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ninh Binh $1,612
Chiang Mai $1,979

Ninh Binh is about 22% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.89 ₫48.8K

$2.24 ฿75.7

-15.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.29 ₫550.1K

$19.00 ฿642

12.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 ₫117.1K

$5.55 ฿188

-18.38%

Cappuccino

$1.79 ₫46.3K

$1.67 ฿56.6

7.19%

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

$0.47 ₫12.2K

$0.64 ฿21.56

-26.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₫7,777

$0.31 ฿10.32

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ₫23.6K

$2.36 ฿79.6

-61.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₫39.0K

$3.66 ฿124

-58.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ₫36.7K

$1.95 ฿65.8

-27.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ₫25.0K

$1.44 ฿48.51

-32.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₫24.5K

$1.33 ฿45.07

-28.57%

Eggs

$1.40 ₫36.3K

$2.28 ฿77.1

-38.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.65 ₫300.8K

$16.45 ฿556

-29.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.5K

$2.78 ฿94.0

31.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ₫256.8K

$9.31 ฿314

6.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 ₫72.0K

$2.35 ฿79.5

18.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.97 ฿32.82

9.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ₫34.8K

$1.60 ฿53.9

-15.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 ₫28.8K

$1.50 ฿50.7

-26.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$1.28 ฿43.15

-18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ₫26.0K

$1.10 ฿37.22

-8.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₫16.7K

$0.71 ฿23.84

-8.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₫12.4K

$0.49 ฿16.38

-2.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.32 ₫34.1K

$4.14 ฿140

-68.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 ₫293.4K

$17.52 ฿592

-35.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₫19.3K

$1.61 ฿54.5

-53.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$2.78 ฿94.0

-43.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₫8,176

$0.87 ฿29.33

-63.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.37 ₫164.5K

$54.1 ฿1,827

-88.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.1K

$1.16 ฿39.08

-39.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.53 ฿17.82

16.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 ₫71.0K

$2.42 ฿81.8

13.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₫21.6K

$1.45 ฿48.93

-42.07%

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

$34.5K ₫891.1M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

63.81%

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

$32.4K ₫836.0M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

20.13%

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

$75.5 ₫2.0M

$62.2 ฿2,100

21.46%

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

$5.88 ₫151.8K

$12.17 ฿411

-51.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.71 ₫225.1K

$20.12 ฿680

-56.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.58 ₫557.5K

$37.31 ฿1,260

-42.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.61 ₫196.5K

$3.77 ฿127

101.86%

Cinema Ticket

$3.01 ₫77.7K

$6.49 ฿219

-53.62%

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

$262 ₫6.8M

$736 ฿24.9K

-64.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ₫302.4M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-20.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.29 ₫1.1M

$53.4 ฿1,802

-22.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.38 ₫604.0K

$24.64 ฿832

-5.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 ₫2.2M

$91.5 ฿3,089

-6.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.2 ₫1.9M

$71.9 ฿2,429

3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₫9.3M

$482 ฿16.3K

-25.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$252 ₫6.5M

$309 ฿10.4K

-18.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ₫18.9M

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-27.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 ₫14.0M

$633 ฿21.4K

-14.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,090 ₫54.0M

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-11.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₫31.6M

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-22.96%

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 Ninh Binh: 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

Ninh Binh

$252 34.4%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 22.4% $56

Groceries & Markets

Ninh Binh

$191 26%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 22.9% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Ninh Binh

$101 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 7.8% $7.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ninh Binh

$90 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 4.8% $4.4

Eating Out

Ninh Binh

$61 8.3%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 27.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Ninh Binh

$28 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 82.2% $23

Getting Around

Ninh Binh

$11 1.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 436% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $358 in Ninh Binh 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 Ninh Binh versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $191 in Ninh Binh vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Ninh Binh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ninh Binh

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:05 8:05 PM

Same time as Ninh Binh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,406

127,240

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,750 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ninh Binh Chiang Mai 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ninh Binh
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

Ninh Binh vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 27% more than Ninh Binh, 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 $1,101 per month in Ninh Binh 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 Ninh Binh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $358 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $262 per month in Ninh Binh 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 it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

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

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.