Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nong Khai and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Nong Khai and in Chiang Mai: $918 and $925 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Nong Khai
Learn more

Nong Khai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Nong Khai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$918

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Nong Khai vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nong Khai $918
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,472 per month in Nong Khai vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nong Khai $1,472
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,026 per month in Nong Khai vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nong Khai $2,026
Chiang Mai $1,903

Nong Khai is about 1% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nong Khai and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Nong Khai 32% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ฿101

$2.29 ฿76.5

32.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.24 ฿810

$19.64 ฿656

23.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 ฿265

$5.61 ฿188

41.53%

Cappuccino

$1.94 ฿64.9

$1.66 ฿55.6

16.87%

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

$0.65 ฿21.61

$0.70 ฿23.40

-7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.34

$0.31 ฿10.24

9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 ฿64.1

$2.41 ฿80.4

-20.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.71 ฿124

-12.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ฿60.4

$1.95 ฿65.3

-7.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.15

$1.41 ฿47.03

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.88

$1.31 ฿43.62

6.87%

Eggs

$1.98 ฿66.0

$2.18 ฿72.9

-9.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.41 ฿582

$16.65 ฿556

4.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.66 ฿89.0

$2.76 ฿92.2

-3.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 ฿365

$9.11 ฿304

19.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.39 ฿80.0

13.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 ฿33.06

$1.03 ฿34.26

-3.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$1.63 ฿54.4

36.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 ฿61.1

$1.50 ฿50.0

22.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.29 ฿43.13

17.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿39.91

$1.11 ฿37.03

7.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.70

$0.72 ฿24.08

56.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.31

$0.53 ฿17.59

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 ฿149

$4.31 ฿144

3.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 ฿600

$17.95 ฿600

0.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.58 ฿52.9

8.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 ฿83.5

$2.84 ฿95.0

-11.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.57

$0.86 ฿28.86

2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 ฿37.19

$1.21 ฿40.29

-8.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿33.56

$0.57 ฿18.99

75.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 ฿225

$2.35 ฿78.6

186.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ฿46.27

$1.44 ฿47.96

-4.17%

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

$22.6K ฿756.9K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

9.25%

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

$27.9K ฿932.6K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

4.12%

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

$78.5 ฿2,624

$62.3 ฿2,083

25.97%

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

$9.94 ฿332

$12.11 ฿405

-17.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.60 ฿655

$19.94 ฿666

-1.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.18 ฿1,577

$37.07 ฿1,239

27.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ฿484

$3.78 ฿126

283.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 ฿236

$6.50 ฿217

8.77%

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

$515 ฿17.2K

$793 ฿26.5K

-35.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,737 ฿325.4K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-34.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 ฿1,711

$53.7 ฿1,796

-4.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.43 ฿917

$24.62 ฿823

11.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.1 ฿2,175

$90.9 ฿3,036

-28.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.1 ฿2,744

$71.1 ฿2,378

15.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 ฿12.9K

$455 ฿15.2K

-15.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ฿9,932

$298 ฿9,954

-0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 ฿38.7K

$908 ฿30.4K

27.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 ฿22.4K

$554 ฿18.5K

20.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,170 ฿72.5K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

12.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,538 ฿51.4K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

6.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 ฿15.1K

$591 ฿19.7K

-23.47%

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 Nong Khai: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nong Khai

$297 32.4%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 0.2% $0.6

Groceries & Markets

Nong Khai

$248 27.1%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 5.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nong Khai

$108 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 12.7% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Nong Khai

$102 11.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 6.4% $6.5

Eating Out

Nong Khai

$91 10%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 14% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Nong Khai

$61 6.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 18.4% $11

Getting Around

Nong Khai

$9.7 * 1.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 529% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $387 in Nong Khai versus $455 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 31% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $24.00 in Nong Khai versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $248 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Nong Khai

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:43 5:43 PM

Same time as Nong Khai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nong Khai Chiang Mai 410 km

From you

Nong Khai
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

Nong Khai vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 1% more than Nong Khai, 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 $1,376 per month in Nong Khai and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nong Khai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Nong Khai and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nong Khai, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Nong Khai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nong Khai costs $918 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. 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 Nong Khai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.