Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Chiang Mai

😐 Solo nomad: Phnom Penh is 0.7% more expensive than Chiang Mai without rent, and 7% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Phnom Penh is 8.4% more expensive than Chiang Mai without rent, and 10.4% more expensive with rent.
Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Phnom Penh
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.13 ៛20.5K
$2.02 āļŋ65.3
153.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.8 ៛119.2K
$18.78 āļŋ608
58.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.12 ៛28.5K
$7.67 āļŋ248
-7.17%
Cappuccino
$2.56 ៛10.2K
$1.98 āļŋ64.2
29.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.04 ៛4,146
$0.82 āļŋ26.64
26.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 ៛3,923
$0.33 āļŋ10.58
196.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.54 ៛6,178
$2.12 āļŋ68.6
-27.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 ៛9,876
$3.73 āļŋ121
-33.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phnom Penh
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.13 ៛8,526
$1.64 āļŋ53.2
29.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ៛5,882
$1.57 āļŋ50.9
-6.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.98 ៛3,917
$1.19 āļŋ38.62
-17.65%
Eggs
$1.83 ៛7,326
$1.98 āļŋ64.1
-7.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.97 ៛51.9K
$15.99 āļŋ517
-18.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4 ៛16K
$3.12 āļŋ101
28.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.4 ៛41.6K
$11.16 āļŋ361
-6.81%
Apples (1kg)
$4.56 ៛18.2K
$2.76 āļŋ89.2
65.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 ៛6,364
$1.22 āļŋ39.5
30.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.83 ៛15.3K
$1.71 āļŋ55.4
123.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.52 ៛6,062
$1.55 āļŋ50.2
-1.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.73 ៛6,923
$1.34 āļŋ43.21
29.10%
Onion (1kg)
$1.2 ៛4,806
$1.21 āļŋ39.23
-0.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 ៛5,763
$0.72 āļŋ23.2
100.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 ៛2,645
$0.53 āļŋ17.05
24.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.03 ៛8,111
$4.72 āļŋ153
-56.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.23 ៛48.9K
$18.39 āļŋ595
-33.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 ៛4,176
$1.79 āļŋ57.9
-41.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.7 ៛6,783
$3.21 āļŋ104
-47.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Phnom Penh
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 ៛5,947
$0.94 āļŋ30.44
58.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.55 ៛42.2K
$18.9 āļŋ612
-44.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.07 ៛4,293
$1.42 āļŋ46.08
-24.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ៛4,041
$1.35 āļŋ43.53
-25.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 ៛17.5K
$7.85 āļŋ254
-44.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 ៛4,519
$1.25 āļŋ40.4
-9.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.4K ៛193.6M
$21.2K āļŋ684.9K
128.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.2K ៛148.6M
$21.8K āļŋ706.8K
70.11%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phnom Penh
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$108 ៛430.5K
$70.6 āļŋ2,285
52.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.51 ៛26K
$13.72 āļŋ444
-52.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.98 ៛91.9K
$17.56 āļŋ568
30.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phnom Penh
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.83 ៛187.3K
$41.64 āļŋ1,347
12.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.54 ៛58.2K
$6.9 āļŋ223
110.72%
Cinema Ticket
$4.42 ៛17.7K
$5.8 āļŋ188
-23.79%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Phnom Penh
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$373 ៛1.5M
$308 āļŋ9,963
20.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K ៛45.5M
$14.7K āļŋ475.8K
-22.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phnom Penh
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$22.1 ៛88.4K
$55.4 āļŋ1,793
-60.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.14 ៛88.6K
$26.4 āļŋ854
-16.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.3 ៛353.3K
$85.1 āļŋ2,755
3.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.5 ៛297.9K
$71.8 āļŋ2,323
3.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phnom Penh
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$496 ៛2M
$434 āļŋ14K
14.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$277 ៛1.1M
$235 āļŋ7,610
17.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,052 ៛4.2M
$821 āļŋ26.6K
28.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$567 ៛2.3M
$498 āļŋ16.1K
13.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,265 ៛9.1M
$2,180 āļŋ70.6K
3.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,334 ៛5.3M
$1,543 āļŋ49.9K
-13.54%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Phnom Penh
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$405 ៛1.6M
$703 āļŋ22.8K
-42.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.3
5
106.00%

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: October 29, 2025

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 29, 2025

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