Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pathum Thani and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Pathum Thani: $785 a month against $938 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 Pathum Thani
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Pathum Thani Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Pathum Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$785

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $785 per month in Pathum Thani vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pathum Thani $785
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,329 per month in Pathum Thani vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pathum Thani $1,329
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,873 per month in Pathum Thani vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pathum Thani $1,873
Chiang Mai $1,914

Pathum Thani is about 16% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pathum Thani and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Pathum Thani 42% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.79 ฿59.9

$2.26 ฿75.4

-20.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.25 ฿744

$19.18 ฿641

16.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 ฿197

$5.59 ฿187

5.55%

Cappuccino

$1.73 ฿58.0

$1.72 ฿57.6

0.58%

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

$0.42 ฿14.03

$0.64 ฿21.54

-34.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 ฿6.05

$0.33 ฿11.18

-45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$2.36 ฿78.7

-26.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$3.90 ฿130

-45.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.07

$2.05 ฿68.6

-28.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 ฿44.22

$1.40 ฿46.70

-5.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ฿41.03

$1.28 ฿42.89

-3.91%

Eggs

$1.80 ฿60.2

$2.25 ฿75.3

-20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.52 ฿418

$16.94 ฿566

-26.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.43 ฿81.1

$2.74 ฿91.6

-11.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 ฿403

$9.36 ฿313

28.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 ฿120

$2.40 ฿80.3

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 ฿31.93

$1.01 ฿33.92

-4.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 ฿83.3

$1.61 ฿53.9

54.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.8

$1.52 ฿50.7

3.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 ฿66.0

$1.28 ฿42.90

53.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.74

$1.11 ฿37.22

-6.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 ฿25.70

$0.72 ฿24.09

6.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ฿14.85

$0.52 ฿17.54

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿151

$4.33 ฿145

4.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.87 ฿464

$17.73 ฿593

-21.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 ฿50.3

$1.63 ฿54.4

-7.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.85 ฿95.3

-41.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 ฿20.07

$0.85 ฿28.31

-29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿35.28

$1.17 ฿39.18

-9.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.57 ฿19.00

168.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ฿293

$2.37 ฿79.2

269.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ฿38.69

$1.45 ฿48.32

-20.00%

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

$17.5K ฿585.7K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-14.41%

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

$23.9K ฿797.8K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-9.96%

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

$82.3 ฿2,751

$62.3 ฿2,083

32.07%

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

$9.23 ฿309

$12.27 ฿410

-24.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.22 ฿341

$19.97 ฿668

-48.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.61 ฿990

$37.91 ฿1,267

-21.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 ฿222

$6.71 ฿224

-1.19%

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

$196 ฿6,543

$797 ฿26.6K

-75.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ฿357.5K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-27.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$5.91 ฿198

$53.3 ฿1,780

-88.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ฿1,197

$25.05 ฿837

42.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ฿2,388

$91.6 ฿3,062

-22.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.8 ฿1,765

$73.5 ฿2,455

-28.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$453 ฿15.1K

$464 ฿15.5K

-2.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 ฿8,805

$305 ฿10.2K

-13.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 ฿49.3K

$915 ฿30.6K

61.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$552 ฿18.5K

33.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,477 ฿149.6K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

134.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,199 ฿73.5K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

52.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$396 ฿13.2K

$595 ฿19.9K

-33.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-28.19%

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

Last update for Pathum Thani: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pathum Thani

$263 33.6%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 15.6% $41

Groceries & Markets

Pathum Thani

$223 28.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 6.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pathum Thani

$102 13%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 7.1% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Pathum Thani

$75 9.5%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 46.6% $35

Eating Out

Pathum Thani

$68 8.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 15.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Pathum Thani

$43 5.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 19.8% $8.5

Getting Around

Pathum Thani

$11 * 1.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 452% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $453 in Pathum Thani versus $464 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 50% 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 $22.00 in Pathum Thani versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $223 in Pathum Thani vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Pathum Thani wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Pathum Thani

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

Same time as Pathum Thani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,320

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

Pathum Thani Chiang Mai 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Pathum Thani
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

Pathum Thani vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 20% more than Pathum Thani, 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 $1,177 per month in Pathum Thani and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pathum Thani, 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 $22.00 in Pathum Thani 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 7% 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.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pathum Thani, where all-in costs run around $785, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Pathum Thani 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. Pathum Thani costs $785 versus $938 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 Pathum Thani. 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.