Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quang Ngai and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Quang Ngai: $484 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Quang Ngai
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Quang Ngai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Quang Ngai

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$484

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $484 per month in Quang Ngai vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Quang Ngai $484
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $751 per month in Quang Ngai vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Quang Ngai $751
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,019 per month in Quang Ngai vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Quang Ngai $1,019
Chiang Mai $1,999

Quang Ngai is about 48% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Quang Ngai and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Quang Ngai 64% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.00 ₫25.8K

$2.13 ฿72.0

-53.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.32 ₫265.9K

$18.62 ฿628

-44.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₫123.2K

$5.60 ฿189

-14.64%

Cappuccino

$1.29 ₫33.1K

$1.66 ฿56.1

-22.29%

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

$0.32 ₫8,209

$0.65 ฿21.82

-50.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₫4,397

$0.30 ฿10.29

-43.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.39 ₫35.7K

$2.32 ฿78.3

-40.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.0K

$3.67 ฿124

-59.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₫40.9K

$2.02 ฿68.0

-21.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₫10.5K

$1.41 ฿47.49

-70.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ₫20.6K

$1.39 ฿46.94

-42.45%

Eggs

$1.49 ₫38.4K

$2.37 ฿79.9

-37.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 ₫194.0K

$16.52 ฿557

-54.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.91 ₫100.8K

$2.67 ฿90.1

46.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 ₫163.8K

$9.02 ฿304

-29.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₫49.0K

$2.40 ฿80.9

-20.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 ₫14.5K

$1.04 ฿35.12

-46.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ₫34.8K

$1.66 ฿56.0

-18.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₫34.7K

$1.56 ฿52.6

-13.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫30.9K

$1.24 ฿41.75

-3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ₫24.5K

$1.09 ฿36.65

-12.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ₫8,298

$0.76 ฿25.70

-57.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₫12.5K

$0.51 ฿17.34

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.1K

$4.12 ฿139

-68.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 ₫147.0K

$17.93 ฿605

-68.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₫15.0K

$1.62 ฿54.8

-64.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₫22.1K

$2.82 ฿95.2

-69.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₫9,416

$0.93 ฿31.52

-60.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.72 ₫147.3K

$52.9 ฿1,784

-89.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 ₫15.5K

$1.18 ฿39.69

-49.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ₫9,783

$0.17 ฿5.78

123.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₫49.6K

$1.81 ฿61.1

6.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 ₫20.5K

$1.47 ฿49.67

-45.58%

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

$30.8K ₫792.6M

$21.0K ฿708.7K

46.44%

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

$28.4K ₫731.1M

$26.5K ฿894.4K

7.03%

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

$66.1 ₫1.7M

$62.6 ฿2,110

5.59%

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

$6.49 ₫167.1K

$11.60 ฿391

-44.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.65 ₫197.1K

$20.30 ฿685

-62.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.59 ₫247.0K

$37.88 ฿1,278

-74.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.75 ₫122.3K

$3.70 ฿125

28.38%

Cinema Ticket

$3.47 ₫89.4K

$6.51 ฿220

-46.70%

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

$136 ₫3.5M

$727 ฿24.5K

-81.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,851 ₫99.2M

$16.6K ฿559.0K

-76.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$7.56 ₫194.7K

$53.5 ฿1,806

-85.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.66 ₫197.4K

$24.80 ฿836

-69.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₫2.6M

$90.4 ฿3,049

13.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.65 ₫686.5K

$72.0 ฿2,428

-62.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$180 ₫4.6M

$481 ฿16.2K

-62.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$119 ₫3.1M

$310 ฿10.5K

-61.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 ₫9.8M

$1,058 ฿35.7K

-63.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 ₫6.4M

$659 ฿22.2K

-62.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$219 ₫5.6M

$595 ฿20.1K

-63.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

25.67%

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

Last update for Quang Ngai: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Quang Ngai

$144 29.8%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 64.3% $93

Accommodation & Living

Quang Ngai

$119 24.6%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 160% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quang Ngai

$80 16.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 17.8% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Quang Ngai

$65 13.4%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 66.8% $43

Eating Out

Quang Ngai

$50 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 54.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Quang Ngai

$17 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 208% $34

Getting Around

Quang Ngai

$9.7 2%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 506% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $180 in Quang Ngai 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 in Chiang Mai are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10 in Quang Ngai versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $144 vs $237 – making Quang Ngai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Quang Ngai

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:21 10:21 AM

Same time as Quang Ngai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

112,384

127,240

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 = 28,809 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quang Ngai Chiang Mai 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Quang Ngai
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

Quang Ngai vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 93% more than Quang Ngai, 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 $726 per month in Quang Ngai 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 Quang Ngai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $180 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $136 per month in Quang Ngai 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 64% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $484 in Quang Ngai and $935 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Quang Ngai – 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 Quang Ngai. 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.