Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phan Rang and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Phan Rang: $721 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phan Rang, Vietnam
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Phan Rang
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$721
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $721 per month in Phan Rang vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Phan Rang $721
  • Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,157 per month in Phan Rang vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Phan Rang $1,157
  • Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,592 per month in Phan Rang vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Phan Rang $1,592
  • Chiang Mai $1,999

Phan Rang is about 23% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phan Rang and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Phan Rang 47% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phan Rang
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.15 ₫29.6K
$2.13 ฿71.8
-46.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.90 ₫589.8K
$18.62 ฿626
22.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.62 ₫118.9K
$5.60 ฿188
-17.50%
Cappuccino
$1.72 ₫44.4K
$1.66 ฿55.9
3.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₫14.4K
$0.65 ฿21.75
-13.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 ₫6,692
$0.30 ฿10.25
-13.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.08 ₫27.9K
$2.32 ฿78.1
-53.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 ₫41.5K
$3.67 ฿123
-56.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phan Rang
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₫31.2K
$2.02 ฿67.8
-40.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.06 ₫27.4K
$1.41 ฿47.34
-24.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.03 ₫26.6K
$1.39 ฿46.79
-25.90%
Eggs
$1.28 ₫33.1K
$2.37 ฿79.6
-45.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.73 ₫147.5K
$16.52 ฿555
-65.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.48 ₫89.5K
$2.67 ฿89.8
30.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.71 ₫147.2K
$9.02 ฿303
-36.70%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 ₫71.6K
$2.40 ฿80.6
15.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.27 ₫32.8K
$1.04 ฿35.01
22.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 ₫37.2K
$1.66 ฿55.8
-12.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.29 ₫33.1K
$1.56 ฿52.4
-17.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ₫31.9K
$1.24 ฿41.61
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 ₫29.8K
$1.09 ฿36.53
6.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.75 ₫19.2K
$0.76 ฿25.61
-1.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.40 ₫10.4K
$0.51 ฿17.29
-21.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.28 ₫32.8K
$4.12 ฿139
-68.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.86 ₫305.6K
$17.93 ฿603
-33.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ₫15.3K
$1.62 ฿54.6
-62.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 ₫26.0K
$2.82 ฿94.9
-64.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Phan Rang
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ₫7,519
$0.93 ฿31.42
-68.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.06 ₫156.1K
$52.9 ฿1,778
-88.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.76 ₫19.6K
$1.18 ฿39.56
-35.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.67 ₫17.2K
$0.17 ฿5.76
294.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.07 ₫79.0K
$1.81 ฿60.9
69.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.89 ₫23.0K
$1.47 ฿49.51
-39.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.2K ₫802.7M
$21.0K ฿706.4K
48.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.7K ₫764.9M
$26.5K ฿891.4K
11.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phan Rang
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$39.49 ₫1.0M
$62.6 ฿2,103
-36.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.77 ₫148.6K
$11.60 ฿390
-50.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.92 ₫229.7K
$20.30 ฿683
-56.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phan Rang
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.91 ₫513.0K
$37.88 ฿1,274
-47.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.89 ₫177.6K
$3.70 ฿124
86.22%
Cinema Ticket
$3.99 ₫102.8K
$6.51 ฿219
-38.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phan Rang
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$237 ₫6.1M
$727 ฿24.4K
-67.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.6K ₫686.1M
$16.6K ฿557.2K
60.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phan Rang
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.0 ₫1.3M
$53.5 ฿1,800
-2.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.06 ₫903.1K
$24.80 ฿834
41.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.0 ₫2.4M
$90.4 ฿3,039
1.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.8 ₫2.4M
$72.0 ฿2,420
31.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phan Rang
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$429 ₫11.0M
$481 ฿16.2K
-10.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$289 ₫7.4M
$310 ฿10.4K
-6.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$644 ₫16.6M
$1,058 ฿35.6K
-39.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$588 ₫15.2M
$659 ฿22.1K
-10.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,337 ₫60.2M
$2,418 ฿81.3K
-3.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,507 ₫38.8M
$1,609 ฿54.1K
-6.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phan Rang
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$595 ฿20.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.64
5.57
55.12%

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

Last update for Phan Rang: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phan Rang
$289
Chiang Mai
$310 7.3% $21
Groceries & Markets
Phan Rang
$160
Chiang Mai
$237 47.9% $77
Clothing & Footwear
Phan Rang
$123
Chiang Mai
$108 12.1% $15
Eating Out
Phan Rang
$56
Chiang Mai
$77 37.6% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phan Rang
$54
Chiang Mai
$94 74.4% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Phan Rang
$28
Chiang Mai
$51 82.4% $23
Getting Around
Phan Rang
$11
Chiang Mai
$59 418% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 in Phan Rang versus $481 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 $23 in Phan Rang versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $160 in Phan Rang vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Phan Rang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇻🇳 Phan Rang
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
23:42 11:42 PM
23:42 11:42 PM
Same time as Phan Rang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
207,998
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,880 VND (100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phan Rang Chiang Mai 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phan Rang
  • 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
Phan Rang vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phan Rang or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 30% more than Phan Rang, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phan Rang and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,082 per month in Phan Rang and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phan Rang or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phan Rang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $429 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Phan Rang and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $237 per month in Phan Rang and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Phan Rang or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 48% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Phan Rang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Phan Rang compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Phan Rang vs other spots: cost of living compared

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