Cost of Living Comparison Between Ongata Rongai and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Ongata Rongai and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $534 per month in Ongata Rongai vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $840 per month in Ongata Rongai vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,147 per month in Ongata Rongai vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ongata Rongai is about 39% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Ongata Rongai and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ongata Rongai 60% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.31 KES 688

$1.98 ฿64.3

168.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.98 KES 2,461

$18.80 ฿612

0.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 KES 908

$7.75 ฿252

-9.68%

Cappuccino

$1.96 KES 254

$1.92 ฿62.5

2.08%

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

$0.30 KES 38.63

$0.79 ฿25.79

-62.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 KES 52.8

$0.36 ฿11.62

13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 KES 308

$2.21 ฿72.1

7.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

$3.66 ฿119

-19.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.55 KES 70.7

$1.65 ฿53.8

-66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 KES 63.9

$1.63 ฿53.2

-69.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 KES 167

$1.19 ฿38.86

7.56%

Eggs

$1.36 KES 177

$2.00 ฿65.1

-32.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.18 KES 542

$15.98 ฿520

-73.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 KES 463

$3.03 ฿98.5

17.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.54 KES 459

$10.86 ฿354

-67.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 KES 163

$2.76 ฿90.0

-54.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$1.18 ฿38.42

-11.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 KES 154

$1.64 ฿53.5

-28.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 KES 83.4

$1.52 ฿49.51

-57.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 KES 97.2

$1.38 ฿45.10

-45.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 KES 62.5

$1.19 ฿38.84

-59.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 KES 82.8

$0.70 ฿22.86

-8.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 62.4

$0.56 ฿18.13

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 KES 298

$4.58 ฿149

-49.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.31 KES 1,207

$16.56 ฿539

-43.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 KES 296

$1.83 ฿59.5

24.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 KES 347

$3.20 ฿104

-16.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 203

$1.36 ฿44.16

15.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 KES 176

$1.34 ฿43.65

1.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 KES 373

$7.84 ฿256

-63.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 KES 206

$1.23 ฿39.92

29.27%

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

$21.4K KES 2.8M

$21.6K ฿704.3K

-1.17%

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

$19.9K KES 2.6M

$22.5K ฿734.3K

-11.54%

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

$34.17 KES 4,430

$70.5 ฿2,298

-51.56%

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

$16.85 KES 2,185

$13.68 ฿445

23.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.20 KES 5,082

$17.45 ฿568

124.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$6.11 KES 792

$5.77 ฿188

5.89%

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

$204 KES 26.4K

$307 ฿10.0K

-33.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,009 KES 1.0M

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-45.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.31 KES 2,374

$55.8 ฿1,817

-67.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.90 KES 3,099

$26.21 ฿854

-8.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 KES 8,350

$85.8 ฿2,793

-24.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.6 KES 7,463

$72.2 ฿2,353

-20.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 KES 20.3K

$430 ฿14.0K

-63.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 KES 14.9K

$239 ฿7,774

-51.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

$817 ฿26.6K

-72.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 KES 30.4K

$511 ฿16.6K

-54.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.84

196.80%

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

Last update for Ongata Rongai: June 8, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $156 in Ongata Rongai versus $430 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 $19.00 in Ongata Rongai versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $129 vs $241 – making Ongata Rongai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Ongata Rongai vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 63% more than Ongata Rongai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $800 per month in Ongata Rongai and $1,303 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ongata Rongai, 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 $19.00 in Ongata Rongai and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 86% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $534 in Ongata Rongai and $869 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ongata Rongai costs $534 versus $869 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 Ongata Rongai. 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.