Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phu Quoc and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Phu Quoc: $730 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Phu Quoc
Learn more

Phu Quoc Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Phu Quoc

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$730

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $730 per month in Phu Quoc vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Phu Quoc $730
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,170 per month in Phu Quoc vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Phu Quoc $1,170
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,611 per month in Phu Quoc vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Phu Quoc $1,611
Chiang Mai $1,999

Phu Quoc is about 22% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phu Quoc and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Phu Quoc 46% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 ₫50.1K

$2.13 ฿71.8

-8.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.24 ₫547.2K

$18.62 ฿626

14.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 ₫116.6K

$5.60 ฿188

-19.11%

Cappuccino

$1.78 ₫45.8K

$1.66 ฿55.9

7.23%

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

$0.51 ₫13.1K

$0.65 ฿21.75

-21.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₫7,101

$0.30 ฿10.25

-6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ₫25.2K

$2.32 ฿78.1

-57.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₫39.0K

$3.67 ฿123

-58.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 ₫35.1K

$2.02 ฿67.8

-32.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ₫25.6K

$1.41 ฿47.34

-29.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₫24.7K

$1.39 ฿46.79

-30.94%

Eggs

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$2.37 ฿79.6

-38.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 ₫304.9K

$16.52 ฿555

-28.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.79 ₫97.7K

$2.67 ฿89.8

41.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.68 ₫249.4K

$9.02 ฿303

7.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 ₫71.9K

$2.40 ฿80.6

16.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$1.04 ฿35.01

0.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 ₫34.5K

$1.66 ฿55.8

-19.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ₫27.7K

$1.56 ฿52.4

-30.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 ₫26.7K

$1.24 ฿41.61

-16.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$1.09 ฿36.53

-2.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ₫17.9K

$0.76 ฿25.61

-7.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₫12.4K

$0.51 ฿17.29

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.36 ₫35.2K

$4.12 ฿139

-66.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 ₫294.7K

$17.93 ฿603

-36.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₫20.5K

$1.62 ฿54.6

-50.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₫42.3K

$2.82 ฿94.9

-41.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₫8,871

$0.93 ฿31.42

-63.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.69 ₫172.4K

$52.9 ฿1,778

-87.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₫17.3K

$1.18 ฿39.56

-43.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.3K

$0.17 ฿5.76

294.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 ₫72.9K

$1.81 ฿60.9

56.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₫21.7K

$1.47 ฿49.51

-42.86%

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

$35.7K ₫920.6M

$21.0K ฿706.4K

70.07%

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

$31.8K ₫818.2M

$26.5K ฿891.4K

19.78%

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

$75.1 ₫1.9M

$62.6 ฿2,103

20.09%

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

$5.81 ₫149.7K

$11.60 ฿390

-49.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.77 ₫225.8K

$20.30 ฿683

-56.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.06 ₫568.2K

$37.88 ฿1,274

-41.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 ₫203.1K

$3.70 ฿124

113.24%

Cinema Ticket

$3.00 ₫77.2K

$6.51 ฿219

-53.92%

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

$261 ₫6.7M

$727 ฿24.4K

-64.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ₫298.2M

$16.6K ฿557.2K

-30.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.55 ₫1.0M

$53.5 ฿1,800

-24.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.13 ₫595.9K

$24.80 ฿834

-6.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 ₫2.2M

$90.4 ฿3,039

-3.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ₫1.9M

$72.0 ฿2,420

2.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 ₫9.3M

$481 ฿16.2K

-25.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 ₫6.3M

$310 ฿10.4K

-20.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ₫18.9M

$1,058 ฿35.6K

-30.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₫13.8M

$659 ฿22.1K

-18.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,068 ₫53.3M

$2,418 ฿81.3K

-14.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,251 ₫32.2M

$1,609 ฿54.1K

-22.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

5.57

63.38%

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

Last update for Phu Quoc: 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

Phu Quoc

$246 33.7%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 26% $64

Groceries & Markets

Phu Quoc

$192 26.3%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 23.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Phu Quoc

$101 13.8%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 7.4% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phu Quoc

$90 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 5.3% $4.8

Eating Out

Phu Quoc

$62 8.4%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 24.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Phu Quoc

$28 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 81.5% $23

Getting Around

Phu Quoc

$12 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 385% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $360 in Phu Quoc 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 $21 in Phu Quoc versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Phu Quoc vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Phu Quoc wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Phu Quoc

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

Same time as Phu Quoc

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

144,460

127,240

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 29,000 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phu Quoc Chiang Mai 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phu Quoc
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

Phu Quoc vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 28% more than Phu Quoc, 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 $1,095 per month in Phu Quoc and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phu Quoc, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $360 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $261 per month in Phu Quoc and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Phu Quoc – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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