Cost of Living Comparison Between Rรขศ™nov and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Rรขศ™nov and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,037 per month in Rรขศ™nov vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,576 per month in Rรขศ™nov vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,114 per month in Rรขศ™nov vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rรขศ™nov costs about 19% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Rรขศ™nov and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median โ€“ Rรขศ™nov 23% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Rรขศ™nov
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.57 RONย 38.76
$1.98 เธฟ64.3
332.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.40 RONย 183
$18.80 เธฟ612
114.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.05 RONย 36.40
$7.75 เธฟ252
3.87%
Cappuccino
$2.31 RONย 10.46
$1.92 เธฟ62.5
20.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.33 RONย 6.00
$0.79 เธฟ25.79
68.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 RONย 5.22
$0.36 เธฟ11.62
219.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.16 RONย 9.76
$2.21 เธฟ72.1
-2.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 RONย 12.80
$3.66 เธฟ119
-22.68%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Rรขศ™nov
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 RONย 6.88
$1.65 เธฟ53.8
-7.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.17 RONย 5.31
$1.63 เธฟ53.2
-28.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.57 RONย 7.10
$1.19 เธฟ38.86
31.93%
Eggs
$3.02 RONย 13.65
$2.00 เธฟ65.1
51.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.47 RONย 38.33
$15.98 เธฟ520
-47.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.98 RONย 31.59
$3.03 เธฟ98.5
130.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.85 RONย 53.6
$10.86 เธฟ354
9.12%
Apples (1kg)
$1.01 RONย 4.57
$2.76 เธฟ90.0
-63.41%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 RONย 6.16
$1.18 เธฟ38.42
15.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.52 RONย 6.89
$1.64 เธฟ53.5
-7.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.95 RONย 8.80
$1.52 เธฟ49.51
28.29%
Potato (1kg)
$0.90 RONย 4.07
$1.38 เธฟ45.10
-34.78%
Onion (1kg)
$0.92 RONย 4.15
$1.19 เธฟ38.84
-22.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 RONย 3.42
$0.70 เธฟ22.86
8.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 RONย 3.63
$0.56 เธฟ18.13
42.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.04 RONย 27.31
$4.58 เธฟ149
31.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.50 RONย 33.93
$16.56 เธฟ539
-54.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 RONย 4.85
$1.83 เธฟ59.5
-41.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 RONย 7.63
$3.20 เธฟ104
-47.19%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Rรขศ™nov
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.67 RONย 3.05
$0.88 เธฟ28.56
-23.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.81 RONย 89.6
$18.72 เธฟ610
5.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.71 RONย 3.20
$1.36 เธฟ44.16
-47.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.61 RONย 2.75
$1.34 เธฟ43.65
-54.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.80 RONย 30.75
$7.84 เธฟ256
-13.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.63 RONย 7.36
$1.23 เธฟ39.92
32.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K RONย 125.2K
$21.6K เธฟ704.3K
27.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.6K RONย 124.7K
$22.5K เธฟ734.3K
22.28%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rรขศ™nov
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$168 RONย 758
$70.5 เธฟ2,298
137.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.27 RONย 37.39
$13.68 เธฟ445
-39.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.12 RONย 41.24
$17.45 เธฟ568
-47.74%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Rรขศ™nov
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.59 RONย 188
$41.33 เธฟ1,346
0.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.03 RONย 86.1
$6.96 เธฟ227
173.42%
Cinema Ticket
$5.90 RONย 26.68
$5.77 เธฟ188
2.25%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Rรขศ™nov
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$445 RONย 2,013
$307 เธฟ10.0K
44.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,566 RONย 29.7K
$14.6K เธฟ475.9K
-55.06%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Rรขศ™nov
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 RONย 328
$55.8 เธฟ1,817
29.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.20 RONย 191
$26.21 เธฟ854
61.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.0 RONย 439
$85.8 เธฟ2,793
13.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.1 RONย 358
$72.2 เธฟ2,353
9.43%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Rรขศ™nov
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$392 RONย 1,773
$430 เธฟ14.0K
-8.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$286 RONย 1,294
$239 เธฟ7,774
19.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$595 RONย 2,693
$817 เธฟ26.6K
-27.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$441 RONย 1,994
$511 เธฟ16.6K
-13.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,938 RONย 8,766
$1,983 เธฟ64.6K
-2.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,395 RONย 6,309
$1,484 เธฟ48.3K
-6.02%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Rรขศ™nov
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$619 เธฟ20.2K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.7
5
54.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rรขศ™nov: June 8, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $392 in Rรขศ™nov versus $430 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 $40.00 in Rรขศ™nov versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story โ€“ $211 in Rรขศ™nov vs $241 in Chiang Mai โ€“ so Rรขศ™nov 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
Rรขศ™nov vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Rรขศ™nov or Chiang Mai?
Rรขศ™nov costs about 19% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Rรขศ™nov vs Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,555 per month in Rรขศ™nov and $1,303 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled โ€“ not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Rรขศ™nov or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Rรขศ™nov and Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $445 per month in Rรขศ™nov and $307 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Rรขศ™nov or Chiang Mai?
Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Rรขศ™nov โ€“ one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Rรขศ™nov or Chiang Mai?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $869, than in Rรขศ™nov at $1,037. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rรขศ™nov it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Rรขศ™nov or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $869 versus $1,037 in Rรขศ™nov. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Rรขศ™nov compared to Chiang Mai?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison โ€“ central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Rรขศ™nov or Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rรขศ™nov makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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