Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phetchabun and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Phetchabun and in Chiang Mai: $939 and $935 a month, rent and utilities included.

Phetchabun, Thailand
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Phetchabun
🇹🇭 Thailand
$939
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $939 per month in Phetchabun vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Phetchabun $939
  • Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,531 per month in Phetchabun vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Phetchabun $1,531
  • Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,122 per month in Phetchabun vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Phetchabun $2,122
  • Chiang Mai $1,999

Phetchabun and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phetchabun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.73 ฿58.3
$2.13 ฿72.0
-18.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.25 ฿886
$18.62 ฿628
40.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.30 ฿213
$5.60 ฿189
12.50%
Cappuccino
$1.17 ฿39.59
$1.66 ฿56.1
-29.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ฿23.58
$0.65 ฿21.83
7.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.21 ฿7.06
$0.30 ฿10.29
-30.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.12 ฿71.6
$2.32 ฿78.4
-8.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$3.67 ฿124
-20.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phetchabun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.7
$2.02 ฿68.0
-13.86%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.45
$1.41 ฿47.51
2.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.23 ฿41.39
$1.39 ฿46.96
-11.51%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.7
$2.37 ฿79.9
-11.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.91 ฿571
$16.52 ฿557
2.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.76 ฿93.2
$2.67 ฿90.1
3.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.13 ฿409
$9.02 ฿304
34.48%
Apples (1kg)
$2.81 ฿94.8
$2.40 ฿80.9
17.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.22 ฿41.09
$1.04 ฿35.13
17.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.09 ฿70.6
$1.66 ฿56.0
25.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.84 ฿62.1
$1.56 ฿52.6
17.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.32 ฿44.43
$1.24 ฿41.76
6.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.08 ฿36.59
$1.09 ฿36.66
-0.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.16 ฿39.16
$0.76 ฿25.70
52.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.22
$0.51 ฿17.35
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.28 ฿144
$4.12 ฿139
3.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$17.93 ฿605
-2.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 ฿55.7
$1.62 ฿54.8
1.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿93.7
$2.82 ฿95.2
-1.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Phetchabun
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.96 ฿32.23
$0.93 ฿31.53
3.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$52.9 ฿1,785
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.07 ฿36.05
$1.18 ฿39.70
-9.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.12 ฿37.63
$0.17 ฿5.79
558.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.84 ฿163
$1.81 ฿61.1
167.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿49.07
$1.47 ฿49.69
-1.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.3K ฿922.5K
$21.0K ฿708.9K
30.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.2K ฿783.4K
$26.5K ฿894.6K
-12.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phetchabun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$81.8 ฿2,761
$62.6 ฿2,111
30.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$11.60 ฿392
-2.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.03 ฿642
$20.30 ฿685
-6.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phetchabun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.7 ฿1,711
$37.88 ฿1,278
33.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.52 ฿490
$3.70 ฿125
292.43%
Cinema Ticket
$6.11 ฿206
$6.51 ฿220
-6.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phetchabun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$580 ฿19.6K
$727 ฿24.5K
-20.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.0K ฿507.3K
$16.6K ฿559.2K
-9.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phetchabun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.20 ฿1,626
$53.5 ฿1,807
-9.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.12 ฿1,016
$24.80 ฿837
21.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.7 ฿2,791
$90.4 ฿3,050
-8.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.8 ฿2,522
$72.0 ฿2,428
3.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phetchabun
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$464 ฿15.7K
$481 ฿16.2K
-3.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$329 ฿11.1K
$310 ฿10.5K
6.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,278 ฿43.1K
$1,058 ฿35.7K
20.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$778 ฿26.2K
$659 ฿22.2K
18.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,995 ฿67.3K
$2,418 ฿81.6K
-17.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,522 ฿51.4K
$1,609 ฿54.3K
-5.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phetchabun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$595 ฿20.1K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.57
-

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

Last update for Phetchabun: 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
Phetchabun
$329
Chiang Mai
$310 5.9% $20
Groceries & Markets
Phetchabun
$251
Chiang Mai
$237 5.6% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phetchabun
$112
Chiang Mai
$94 15.7% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Phetchabun
$106
Chiang Mai
$108 2.1% $2.2
Eating Out
Phetchabun
$67
Chiang Mai
$77 14.4% $9.6
Sport & Entertainment
Phetchabun
$63
Chiang Mai
$51 19.1% $12
Getting Around
Phetchabun
$10 *
Chiang Mai
$59 460% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Phetchabun 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 $26 in Phetchabun versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phetchabun
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
00:52 12:52 AM
00:52 12:52 AM
Same time as Phetchabun
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
23,823
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phetchabun Chiang Mai 350 km
From you
  • Phetchabun
  • 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
Phetchabun vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phetchabun and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Phetchabun and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phetchabun compared to Chiang Mai?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $464 in Phetchabun and $481 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Are groceries more expensive in Phetchabun or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 6% more in Phetchabun, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do dining costs compare in Phetchabun and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Phetchabun and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Phetchabun or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $939 in Phetchabun and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phetchabun or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $939 in Phetchabun. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Phetchabun 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.

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