Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Prachin Buri and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Prachin Buri: $894 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $490 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

43

Cost of Living Index in Prachin Buri
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Prachin Buri Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Prachin Buri

🇹🇭 Thailand

$894

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $894 per month in Prachin Buri vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Prachin Buri $894
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,397 per month in Prachin Buri vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Prachin Buri $1,397
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,901 per month in Prachin Buri vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Prachin Buri $1,901
Chiang Mai $1,999

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

Both Prachin Buri and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Prachin Buri 34% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.99 ฿101

$2.13 ฿72.0

40.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.35 ฿889

$18.62 ฿628

41.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 ฿295

$5.60 ฿189

56.07%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.66 ฿56.1

17.47%

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

$0.71 ฿23.81

$0.65 ฿21.82

9.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ฿8.40

$0.30 ฿10.29

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿81.4

$2.32 ฿78.3

3.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ฿88.7

$3.67 ฿124

-28.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ฿46.96

$2.02 ฿68.0

-31.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ฿39.68

$1.41 ฿47.49

-16.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ฿31.64

$1.39 ฿46.94

-32.37%

Eggs

$1.57 ฿53.1

$2.37 ฿79.9

-33.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.58 ฿357

$16.52 ฿557

-35.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.50 ฿84.3

$2.67 ฿90.1

-6.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.15 ฿342

$9.02 ฿304

12.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 ฿118

$2.40 ฿80.9

46.25%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 ฿24.48

$1.04 ฿35.12

-29.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.66 ฿56.0

12.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ฿35.49

$1.56 ฿52.6

-32.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 ฿38.05

$1.24 ฿41.75

-8.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿36.17

$1.09 ฿36.65

-1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ฿42.31

$0.76 ฿25.70

64.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.56

$0.51 ฿17.34

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿144

$4.12 ฿139

3.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.79 ฿398

$17.93 ฿605

-34.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.62 ฿54.8

2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.1

$2.82 ฿95.2

2.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 ฿24.98

$0.93 ฿31.52

-20.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ฿36.08

$1.18 ฿39.69

-9.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿36.31

$0.17 ฿5.78

535.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ฿121

$1.81 ฿61.1

97.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ฿34.69

$1.47 ฿49.67

-29.93%

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

$45.5K ฿1.5M

$21.0K ฿708.7K

116.72%

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

$26.7K ฿901.0K

$26.5K ฿894.4K

0.74%

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

$91.5 ฿3,085

$62.6 ฿2,110

46.21%

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

$11.57 ฿390

$11.60 ฿391

-0.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.51 ฿321

$20.30 ฿685

-53.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.58 ฿1,571

$37.88 ฿1,278

22.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 ฿512

$3.70 ฿125

310.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.75 ฿261

$6.51 ฿220

19.05%

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

$624 ฿21.0K

$727 ฿24.5K

-14.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K ฿697.4K

$16.6K ฿559.0K

24.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 ฿1,715

$53.5 ฿1,806

-5.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.29 ฿988

$24.80 ฿836

18.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 ฿3,202

$90.4 ฿3,049

5.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 ฿2,525

$72.0 ฿2,428

4.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.5K

$481 ฿16.2K

-10.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.3K

$310 ฿10.5K

-1.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 ฿41.7K

$1,058 ฿35.7K

16.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 ฿20.5K

$659 ฿22.2K

-7.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,930 ฿65.1K

$2,418 ฿81.5K

-20.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,764 ฿59.5K

$1,609 ฿54.3K

9.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$440 ฿14.8K

$595 ฿20.1K

-26.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.57

7.00%

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

Last update for Prachin Buri: 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

Prachin Buri

$305 34.2%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 1.5% $4.4

Groceries & Markets

Prachin Buri

$197 22.1%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 19.9% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Prachin Buri

$113 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 16.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Prachin Buri

$112 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 3.7% $4.1

Eating Out

Prachin Buri

$95 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 19.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Prachin Buri

$62 7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 18% $11

Getting Around

Prachin Buri

$9.4 * 1.1%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 523% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Prachin Buri 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 35% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Prachin Buri versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Prachin Buri vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Prachin Buri wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Prachin Buri

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:10 6:10 PM

Same time as Prachin Buri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,910

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Prachin Buri Chiang Mai 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Prachin Buri
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

Prachin Buri vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Prachin Buri, 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 $1,341 per month in Prachin Buri 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 Prachin Buri, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $428 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Prachin Buri and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $894 in Prachin Buri and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Prachin Buri – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Prachin Buri. 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.