Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phitsanulok and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Phitsanulok: $899 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $430 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

43

Cost of Living Index in Phitsanulok
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Phitsanulok Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Phitsanulok

🇹🇭 Thailand

$899

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $899 per month in Phitsanulok vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Phitsanulok $899
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,474 per month in Phitsanulok vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Phitsanulok $1,474
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,049 per month in Phitsanulok vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Phitsanulok $2,049
Chiang Mai $1,999

Phitsanulok is about 4% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phitsanulok and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Phitsanulok 33% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.19 ฿73.8

$2.13 ฿72.0

2.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.49 ฿624

$18.62 ฿628

-0.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.60 ฿189

-0.89%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.2

$1.66 ฿56.1

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

$0.70 ฿23.64

$0.65 ฿21.83

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.31

$0.30 ฿10.29

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.5

$2.32 ฿78.4

4.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 ฿127

$3.67 ฿124

2.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 ฿65.5

$2.02 ฿68.0

-3.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$1.41 ฿47.51

5.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$1.39 ฿46.96

-4.32%

Eggs

$2.33 ฿78.6

$2.37 ฿79.9

-1.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.54 ฿558

$16.52 ฿557

0.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.2

$2.67 ฿90.1

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.23 ฿311

$9.02 ฿304

2.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 ฿83.0

$2.40 ฿80.9

2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.72

$1.04 ฿35.13

4.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.1

$1.66 ฿56.0

-3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ฿53.1

$1.56 ฿52.6

0.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 ฿42.51

$1.24 ฿41.76

1.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ฿36.56

$1.09 ฿36.66

-0.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.69

$0.76 ฿25.70

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.63

$0.51 ฿17.35

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ฿145

$4.12 ฿139

4.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.76 ฿599

$17.93 ฿605

-0.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.62 ฿54.8

-3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿94.0

$2.82 ฿95.2

-1.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ฿28.11

$0.93 ฿31.53

-10.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.26

$1.18 ฿39.70

-1.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.68

$0.17 ฿5.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 ฿58.4

$1.81 ฿61.1

-4.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ฿47.87

$1.47 ฿49.69

-3.40%

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

$21.0K ฿707.6K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

-0.20%

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

$26.6K ฿898.4K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

0.42%

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

$62.0 ฿2,092

$62.6 ฿2,111

-0.91%

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

$11.83 ฿399

$11.60 ฿392

1.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.68 ฿664

$20.30 ฿685

-3.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.82 ฿1,647

$37.88 ฿1,278

28.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.13 ฿443

$3.70 ฿125

254.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 ฿216

$6.51 ฿220

-1.54%

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

$747 ฿25.2K

$727 ฿24.5K

2.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ฿566.2K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

1.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,858

$53.5 ฿1,807

2.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.23 ฿851

$24.80 ฿837

1.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,055

$90.4 ฿3,050

0.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 ฿2,408

$72.0 ฿2,428

-0.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ฿14.8K

$481 ฿16.2K

-8.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 ฿10.6K

$310 ฿10.5K

1.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 ฿37.2K

$1,058 ฿35.7K

4.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ฿26.3K

$659 ฿22.2K

18.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,893 ฿63.9K

$2,418 ฿81.6K

-21.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,488 ฿50.2K

$1,609 ฿54.3K

-7.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$469 ฿15.8K

$595 ฿20.1K

-21.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phitsanulok: 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

Phitsanulok

$315 35%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 1.5% $4.6

Groceries & Markets

Phitsanulok

$237 26.4%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 0.3% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Phitsanulok

$109 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 0.6% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phitsanulok

$94 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 1% $1

Eating Out

Phitsanulok

$78 8.7%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 1.7% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Phitsanulok

$62 6.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 17.4% $11

Getting Around

Phitsanulok

$5.3 * 0.6%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 999% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $438 in Phitsanulok 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.

Salaries run about 27% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Phitsanulok versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $237 – making Phitsanulok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phitsanulok

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:44 9:44 PM

Same time as Phitsanulok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,106

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Phitsanulok Chiang Mai 260 km

From you

Phitsanulok
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Phitsanulok, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,349 per month in Phitsanulok 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 $438 in Phitsanulok and $481 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $899 in Phitsanulok and $935 in Chiang Mai. That makes Phitsanulok about 4% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Phitsanulok and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $899 in Phitsanulok and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $899 in Phitsanulok to $935 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.

If budget matters most, go with Phitsanulok. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.