Cost of Living Comparison Between Permet and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Permet and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Permet vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,850 per month in Permet vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,503 per month in Permet vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Permet costs about 40% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Permet and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Permet 10% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 ALL 969

$2.04 ฿68.2

484.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 ALL 4,751

$18.71 ฿624

212.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 ALL 756

$7.86 ฿262

18.32%

Cappuccino

$2.04 ALL 166

$2.03 ฿67.7

0.49%

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

$1.87 ALL 152

$0.80 ฿26.64

133.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 ALL 74.2

$0.35 ฿11.68

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 ALL 241

$2.14 ฿71.5

38.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 ALL 341

$3.67 ฿122

14.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ALL 168

$1.73 ฿57.6

19.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ALL 88.2

$1.57 ฿52.4

-30.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ALL 181

$1.20 ฿39.99

85.83%

Eggs

$3.83 ALL 311

$1.97 ฿65.8

94.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ALL 1,087

$16.23 ฿541

-17.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.72 ALL 627

$3.06 ฿102

152.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.45 ALL 1,255

$10.80 ฿360

43.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ALL 145

$2.77 ฿92.3

-35.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 ALL 220

$1.17 ฿38.94

131.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ALL 160

$1.71 ฿57.0

15.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ALL 161

$1.59 ฿53.2

24.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 ALL 107

$1.39 ฿46.51

-5.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 ALL 104

$1.16 ฿38.56

11.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 ALL 118

$0.66 ฿22.05

119.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ALL 60.2

$0.52 ฿17.31

42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ALL 350

$4.65 ฿155

-7.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 ALL 876

$17.78 ฿593

-39.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ALL 134

$1.79 ฿59.6

-7.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ALL 169

$3.34 ฿111

-37.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ALL 36.97

$0.91 ฿30.27

-49.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.48 ALL 1,502

$18.64 ฿622

-0.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ALL 283

$1.41 ฿47.04

146.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 ALL 252

$1.34 ฿44.70

131.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.31 ALL 1,406

$8.11 ฿270

113.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 ALL 174

$1.23 ฿41.16

73.98%

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

$40.4K ALL 3.3M

$21.4K ฿715.1K

88.62%

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

$35.9K ALL 2.9M

$21.8K ฿728.0K

64.44%

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

$109 ALL 8,822

$71.3 ฿2,379

52.22%

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

$18.22 ALL 1,480

$14.01 ฿467

30.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.75 ALL 1,523

$17.93 ฿598

4.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 ALL 4,489

$40.82 ฿1,362

35.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.40 ALL 2,064

$6.88 ฿230

269.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.38 ALL 762

$5.72 ฿191

63.99%

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

$157 ALL 12.7K

$308 ฿10.3K

-49.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,688 ALL 462.2K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-61.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 ALL 5,433

$55.8 ฿1,860

19.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 ALL 4,084

$26.04 ฿869

93.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 ALL 8,630

$84.8 ฿2,829

25.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ALL 10.3K

$71.0 ฿2,368

78.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 ALL 36.7K

$423 ฿14.1K

6.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 ALL 27.6K

$242 ฿8,088

40.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 ALL 49.4K

$797 ฿26.6K

-23.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 ALL 35.6K

$507 ฿16.9K

-13.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,040 ALL 165.7K

$1,918 ฿64.0K

6.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,226 ALL 99.6K

$1,464 ฿48.8K

-16.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.52

10.40%

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

Last update for Permet: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $452 in Permet versus $423 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 $58.0 in Permet versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $279 vs $244 – making Chiang Mai 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

Permet vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Permet costs about 40% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,795 per month in Permet and $1,279 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $157 per month in Permet and $308 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Permet, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $852, than in Permet at $1,197. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Permet it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $1,197 in Permet. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Permet makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.