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 $1,215 per month in Permet vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,859 per month in Permet vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,503 per month in Permet vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Permet costs about 43% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Permet and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Permet 9% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.58 ALL 945

$1.96 ฿64.0

490.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.7 ALL 4,790

$18.81 ฿615

211.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.49 ALL 775

$7.92 ฿259

19.82%

Cappuccino

$1.97 ALL 161

$1.91 ฿62.6

3.14%

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

$1.87 ALL 153

$0.84 ฿27.41

122.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ALL 75.6

$0.35 ฿11.51

165.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 ALL 243

$2.21 ฿72.1

34.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 ALL 343

$3.80 ฿124

10.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ALL 174

$1.64 ฿53.5

29.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ALL 91.7

$1.62 ฿53.1

-30.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ALL 183

$1.18 ฿38.62

89.83%

Eggs

$3.79 ALL 309

$2.01 ฿65.8

88.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 ALL 1,082

$15.89 ฿520

-16.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 ALL 616

$3.01 ฿98.5

150.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 ALL 1,279

$10.77 ฿352

45.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ALL 145

$2.61 ฿85.5

-31.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 ALL 216

$1.22 ฿39.88

117.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ALL 162

$1.70 ฿55.7

16.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ALL 156

$1.58 ฿51.5

20.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ALL 112

$1.32 ฿43.14

4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ALL 108

$1.17 ฿38.23

12.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ALL 123

$0.67 ฿21.98

123.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ALL 65.6

$0.56 ฿18.32

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 ALL 344

$4.53 ฿148

-6.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.55 ALL 861

$18.20 ฿595

-42.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ALL 130

$1.83 ฿60.0

-13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ALL 176

$3.23 ฿106

-33.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ALL 37.08

$0.89 ฿29.00

-49.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.97 ALL 1,549

$19.38 ฿634

-2.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ALL 284

$1.35 ฿44.20

157.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 ALL 253

$1.35 ฿44.05

129.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.96 ALL 1,466

$8.25 ฿270

117.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 ALL 170

$1.27 ฿41.64

63.78%

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

$40.2K ALL 3.3M

$21.2K ฿691.8K

90.14%

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

$35.0K ALL 2.9M

$22.5K ฿735.3K

55.74%

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

$109 ALL 8,907

$70.2 ฿2,294

55.51%

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

$17.64 ALL 1,441

$13.77 ฿450

28.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.78 ALL 1,533

$17.60 ฿575

6.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 ALL 4,416

$41.57 ฿1,360

30.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 ALL 2,033

$6.60 ฿216

277.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.66 ALL 789

$5.78 ฿189

67.13%

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

$156 ALL 12.8K

$306 ฿10.0K

-48.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,516 ALL 450.4K

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-62.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 ALL 5,584

$54.4 ฿1,778

25.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 ALL 4,093

$26.14 ฿855

91.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 ALL 8,616

$84.5 ฿2,764

24.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ALL 10.3K

$69.4 ฿2,270

82.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 ALL 37.0K

$424 ฿13.9K

7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ALL 27.5K

$238 ฿7,788

41.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 ALL 49.8K

$825 ฿27.0K

-26.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 ALL 35.1K

$515 ฿16.8K

-16.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,727 ALL 141.0K

$2,049 ฿67.0K

-15.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,396 ALL 114.0K

$1,523 ฿49.8K

-8.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $454 in Permet versus $424 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 $59.0 in Permet versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $279 vs $243 – 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 43% 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 $1,823 per month in Permet and $1,278 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 $156 per month in Permet and $306 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% 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 $1,215. 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 $1,215 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.