Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phan Thiet and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Phan Thiet: $658 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Phan Thiet
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Phan Thiet Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Phan Thiet

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$658

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $658 per month in Phan Thiet vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Phan Thiet $658
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,085 per month in Phan Thiet vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Phan Thiet $1,085
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,512 per month in Phan Thiet vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Phan Thiet $1,512
Chiang Mai $1,979

Phan Thiet is about 30% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phan Thiet and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Phan Thiet 52% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 ₫68.0K

$2.24 ฿75.5

17.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.07 ₫596.4K

$19.00 ฿640

21.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.60 ₫118.8K

$5.55 ฿187

-17.12%

Cappuccino

$0.61 ₫15.7K

$1.67 ฿56.4

-63.47%

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

$0.40 ₫10.3K

$0.64 ฿21.51

-37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 ₫5,419

$0.31 ฿10.29

-32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.61 ₫15.7K

$2.36 ฿79.5

-74.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₫31.6K

$3.66 ฿123

-66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 ₫34.6K

$1.95 ฿65.7

-31.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 ₫9,630

$1.44 ฿48.41

-74.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.33 ฿44.97

-27.82%

Eggs

$1.13 ₫29.2K

$2.28 ฿77.0

-50.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 ₫318.4K

$16.45 ฿554

-25.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 ₫81.2K

$2.78 ฿93.8

12.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.35 ₫215.9K

$9.31 ฿314

-10.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ₫50.4K

$2.35 ฿79.3

-17.02%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 ₫20.7K

$0.97 ฿32.75

-17.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 ₫27.9K

$1.60 ฿53.8

-32.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$1.50 ฿50.6

-17.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₫21.0K

$1.28 ฿43.06

-36.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$1.10 ฿37.14

-34.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₫15.4K

$0.71 ฿23.79

-15.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.2K

$0.49 ฿16.34

12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 ₫40.7K

$4.14 ฿140

-62.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.75 ₫252.1K

$17.52 ฿590

-44.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ₫10.5K

$1.61 ฿54.4

-74.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.78 ฿93.8

-44.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ₫7,368

$0.87 ฿29.27

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.35 ₫164.3K

$54.1 ฿1,823

-88.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 ₫15.3K

$1.16 ฿39.00

-49.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₫15.4K

$0.53 ฿17.78

13.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₫56.2K

$2.42 ฿81.6

-10.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 ₫23.7K

$1.45 ฿48.82

-36.55%

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

$31.1K ₫803.4M

$21.1K ฿709.7K

47.57%

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

$28.2K ₫728.1M

$26.9K ฿907.9K

4.54%

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

$43.05 ₫1.1M

$62.2 ฿2,095

-30.75%

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

$6.41 ₫165.8K

$12.17 ฿410

-47.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.43 ₫243.8K

$20.12 ฿678

-53.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.55 ₫531.2K

$37.31 ฿1,257

-44.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.78 ₫201.1K

$3.77 ฿127

106.37%

Cinema Ticket

$1.88 ₫48.6K

$6.49 ฿219

-71.03%

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

$213 ₫5.5M

$736 ฿24.8K

-71.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,840 ₫99.3M

$14.8K ฿497.6K

-73.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.83 ₫590.1K

$53.4 ฿1,799

-57.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.47 ₫606.6K

$24.64 ฿830

-4.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.53 ₫996.2K

$91.5 ฿3,083

-57.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 ₫1.5M

$71.9 ฿2,424

-17.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 ₫12.4M

$482 ฿16.3K

-0.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₫7.3M

$309 ฿10.4K

-8.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 ₫20.9M

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-19.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₫16.3M

$633 ฿21.3K

-0.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,217 ₫57.3M

$2,363 ฿79.6K

-6.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,316 ₫34.0M

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-17.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

5.57

48.65%

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

Last update for Phan Thiet: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phan Thiet

$284 43.1%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 8.9% $25

Groceries & Markets

Phan Thiet

$166 25.2%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 41.5% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Phan Thiet

$65 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 67.7% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phan Thiet

$59 9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 60.4% $36

Eating Out

Phan Thiet

$50 7.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 55.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Phan Thiet

$24 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 107% $26

Getting Around

Phan Thiet

$11 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 454% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $479 in Phan Thiet versus $482 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 Thiet versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $166 in Phan Thiet vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Phan Thiet wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Phan Thiet

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:51 9:51 AM

Same time as Phan Thiet

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

255,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 25,852 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,779 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phan Thiet Chiang Mai 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phan Thiet
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 Thiet vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 42% more than Phan Thiet, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $987 per month in Phan Thiet and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $479 in Phan Thiet and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $213 per month in Phan Thiet and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $658 in Phan Thiet and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $658 in Phan Thiet to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.