Cost of Living Comparison Between Poipet and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Poipet and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $480 per month in Poipet vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $769 per month in Poipet vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,057 per month in Poipet vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Poipet is about 45% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Poipet and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Poipet 64% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.53 ៛10.2K

$1.94 ฿63.5

30.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.24 ៛81.4K

$18.64 ฿609

8.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.97 ៛24.0K

$7.82 ฿255

-23.66%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ៛6,705

$1.95 ฿63.8

-14.36%

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

$0.69 ៛2,765

$0.85 ฿27.77

-18.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ៛2,027

$0.35 ฿11.58

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ៛3,948

$2.13 ฿69.6

-53.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ៛7,662

$3.73 ฿122

-48.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ៛7,058

$1.71 ฿56.0

2.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ៛5,464

$1.63 ฿53.2

-16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ៛5,111

$1.14 ฿37.15

11.40%

Eggs

$1.58 ៛6,338

$1.93 ฿63.1

-18.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 ៛59.2K

$16.21 ฿530

-9.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ៛14.2K

$3.12 ฿102

13.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.23 ៛41.1K

$10.90 ฿356

-6.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 ៛14.8K

$2.75 ฿90.0

34.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ៛4,357

$1.21 ฿39.52

-10.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 ៛13.1K

$1.62 ฿53.0

101.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ៛5,146

$1.59 ฿51.8

-19.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 ៛5,044

$1.40 ฿45.70

-10.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 ៛3,856

$1.17 ฿38.17

-17.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ៛5,192

$0.66 ฿21.60

95.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ៛2,808

$0.53 ฿17.22

32.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 ៛7,467

$4.69 ฿153

-60.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.34 ៛29.5K

$18.66 ฿609

-60.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ៛2,920

$1.80 ฿58.8

-59.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ៛8,001

$3.23 ฿106

-38.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ៛4,073

$1.29 ฿42.12

-21.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 ៛20.4K

$7.84 ฿256

-35.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ៛4,511

$1.27 ฿41.58

-11.81%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

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

$74.1 ៛297.8K

$69.1 ฿2,256

7.21%

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

$5.83 ៛23.4K

$14.08 ฿460

-58.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.23 ៛77.3K

$18.00 ฿588

6.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 ៛25.8K

$5.92 ฿193

8.61%

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

$393 ៛1.6M

$299 ฿9,766

31.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,929 ៛19.8M

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-67.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.83 ៛136.0K

$54.7 ฿1,787

-38.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.03 ៛72.5K

$26.77 ฿874

-32.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.4 ៛218.6K

$85.0 ฿2,776

-36.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.65 ៛147.4K

$70.6 ฿2,306

-48.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.2

84.00%

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

Last update for Poipet: June 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Poipet versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $221 in Poipet vs $246 in Chiang Mai – so Poipet wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 81% more than Poipet, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $719 per month in Poipet and $1,300 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Poipet and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $480 in Poipet and $866 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Poipet costs $480 versus $866 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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