Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pyeongtaek and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,452 in Pyeongtaek, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Pyeongtaek
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Pyeongtaek Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Pyeongtaek

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,452

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,452 per month in Pyeongtaek vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pyeongtaek $1,452
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,876 per month in Pyeongtaek vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pyeongtaek $2,876
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,300 per month in Pyeongtaek vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pyeongtaek $4,300
Chiang Mai $1,979

Pyeongtaek costs about 55% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Pyeongtaek sits 7% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.49 ₩9,982

$2.24 ฿75.6

234.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.56 ₩30.1K

$19.00 ฿641

18.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ₩6,434

$5.55 ฿187

-12.97%

Cappuccino

$3.62 ₩4,828

$1.67 ฿56.5

116.77%

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

$1.28 ₩1,714

$0.64 ฿21.55

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₩1,174

$0.31 ฿10.31

183.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 ₩4,901

$2.36 ฿79.6

55.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₩5,809

$3.66 ฿124

19.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 ₩3,058

$1.95 ฿65.8

17.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 ₩4,393

$1.44 ฿48.48

128.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 ₩4,244

$1.33 ฿45.04

139.10%

Eggs

$2.62 ₩3,496

$2.28 ฿77.1

14.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 ₩15.1K

$16.45 ฿555

-31.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 ₩13.9K

$2.78 ฿93.9

274.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.15 ₩33.5K

$9.31 ฿314

170.14%

Apples (1kg)

$11.18 ₩14.9K

$2.35 ฿79.4

375.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.72 ₩4,959

$0.97 ฿32.80

283.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.24 ₩11.0K

$1.60 ฿53.9

415.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.09 ₩8,120

$1.50 ฿50.6

306.00%

Potato (1kg)

$6.03 ₩8,040

$1.28 ฿43.12

371.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 ₩4,365

$1.10 ฿37.19

197.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 ₩3,665

$0.71 ฿23.82

287.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₩1,812

$0.49 ฿16.37

177.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.47 ₩4,630

$4.14 ฿140

-16.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.22 ₩25.6K

$17.52 ฿591

9.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 ₩3,338

$1.61 ฿54.5

55.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 ₩4,553

$2.78 ฿94.0

22.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 ₩1,681

$0.87 ฿29.31

44.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.32 ₩61.8K

$54.1 ฿1,826

-14.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩4,855

$1.16 ฿39.06

213.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₩792

$0.53 ฿17.80

11.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.26 ₩12.4K

$2.42 ฿81.8

282.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,889

$1.45 ฿48.90

-2.07%

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

$15.1K ₩20.2M

$21.1K ฿710.7K

-28.18%

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

$15.3K ₩20.5M

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-43.07%

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

$201 ₩268.5K

$62.2 ฿2,098

223.84%

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

$17.22 ₩23.0K

$12.17 ฿411

41.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.5K

$20.12 ฿679

36.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 ₩15.9K

$6.49 ฿219

83.67%

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

$634 ₩845.4K

$736 ฿24.8K

-13.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K ₩28.9M

$14.8K ฿498.3K

46.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 ₩142.9K

$53.4 ฿1,801

100.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 ₩86.4K

$24.64 ฿831

162.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ₩128.1K

$91.5 ฿3,087

5.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩172.7K

$71.9 ฿2,428

80.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 ₩698.6K

$482 ฿16.3K

8.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 ₩400.7K

$309 ฿10.4K

-2.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,905 ₩2.5M

$1,006 ฿33.9K

89.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,905 ₩2.5M

$633 ฿21.4K

200.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,912 ₩2.5M

$590 ฿19.9K

224.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.57

-24.24%

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

Last update for Pyeongtaek: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Pyeongtaek

$492 33.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 52.3% $257

Accommodation & Living

Pyeongtaek

$300 20.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 2.8% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pyeongtaek

$246 16.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 61.6% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Pyeongtaek

$179 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 39.3% $70

Eating Out

Pyeongtaek

$154 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 49.5% $76

Getting Around

Pyeongtaek

$58 4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 5.8% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Pyeongtaek

$24 * 1.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 111% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $524 in Pyeongtaek versus $482 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 in Pyeongtaek are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Pyeongtaek versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $492 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Pyeongtaek

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

12:03 12:03 PM

2 h behind Pyeongtaek

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

489,081

127,240

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,489 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pyeongtaek Chiang Mai 3,400 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pyeongtaek
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

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

Pyeongtaek costs about 55% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,179 per month in Pyeongtaek 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 $524 in Pyeongtaek and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $634 per month in Pyeongtaek and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 110% more in Pyeongtaek, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,452 in Pyeongtaek and $936 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,452 in Pyeongtaek. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pyeongtaek makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.