Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratchaburi and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,006 in Ratchaburi, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ratchaburi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

46

Cost of Living Index in Ratchaburi
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Ratchaburi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ratchaburi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,006

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,006 per month in Ratchaburi vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ratchaburi $1,006
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,533 per month in Ratchaburi vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ratchaburi $1,533
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,061 per month in Ratchaburi vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ratchaburi $2,061
Chiang Mai $1,999

Ratchaburi costs about 8% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ratchaburi and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ratchaburi 26% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.01 ฿102

$2.13 ฿72.0

41.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.13 ฿915

$18.62 ฿628

45.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.75 ฿295

$5.60 ฿189

56.25%

Cappuccino

$1.99 ฿67.2

$1.66 ฿56.1

19.88%

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

$0.65 ฿22.07

$0.65 ฿21.83

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ฿8.35

$0.30 ฿10.29

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿82.1

$2.32 ฿78.4

4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 ฿88.1

$3.67 ฿124

-28.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ฿54.9

$2.02 ฿68.0

-19.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.54

$1.41 ฿47.51

4.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿47.13

$1.39 ฿46.96

0.72%

Eggs

$2.19 ฿73.8

$2.37 ฿79.9

-7.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.19 ฿512

$16.52 ฿557

-8.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.57 ฿86.8

$2.67 ฿90.1

-3.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.19 ฿344

$9.02 ฿304

12.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 ฿116

$2.40 ฿80.9

42.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ฿42.06

$1.04 ฿35.13

20.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 ฿64.7

$1.66 ฿56.0

15.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 ฿65.6

$1.56 ฿52.6

24.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.24

$1.24 ฿41.76

-4.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿36.24

$1.09 ฿36.66

-1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ฿41.32

$0.76 ฿25.70

60.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.46

$0.51 ฿17.35

-21.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.39 ฿148

$4.12 ฿139

6.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 ฿591

$17.93 ฿605

-2.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ฿55.8

$1.62 ฿54.8

1.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿99.7

$2.82 ฿95.2

4.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 ฿33.26

$0.93 ฿31.53

6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.62

$1.18 ฿39.70

-0.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿36.25

$0.17 ฿5.79

529.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ฿122

$1.81 ฿61.1

100.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.47 ฿49.69

2.04%

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

$46.1K ฿1.6M

$21.0K ฿708.9K

119.58%

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

$26.2K ฿885.1K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

-1.06%

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

$91.0 ฿3,071

$62.6 ฿2,111

45.48%

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

$11.63 ฿392

$11.60 ฿392

0.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.72 ฿632

$20.30 ฿685

-7.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 ฿1,811

$37.88 ฿1,278

41.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.50 ฿455

$3.70 ฿125

264.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.59 ฿256

$6.51 ฿220

16.59%

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

$630 ฿21.3K

$727 ฿24.5K

-13.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K ฿697.4K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

24.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 ฿1,690

$53.5 ฿1,807

-6.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.01 ฿979

$24.80 ฿837

16.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 ฿3,222

$90.4 ฿3,050

5.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.5 ฿2,546

$72.0 ฿2,428

4.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 ฿16.8K

$481 ฿16.2K

3.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ฿12.0K

$310 ฿10.5K

15.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ฿42.7K

$1,058 ฿35.7K

19.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 ฿21.7K

$659 ฿22.2K

-2.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,210 ฿74.6K

$2,418 ฿81.6K

-8.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,851 ฿62.5K

$1,609 ฿54.3K

15.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

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 Ratchaburi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ratchaburi

$357 35.5%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 13.2% $47

Groceries & Markets

Ratchaburi

$241 23.9%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 1.8% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ratchaburi

$121 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 22.2% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Ratchaburi

$113 11.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 3.7% $4.2

Eating Out

Ratchaburi

$95 9.5%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 19.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Ratchaburi

$69 6.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 26.1% $18

Getting Around

Ratchaburi

$10 * 1%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 459% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $497 in Ratchaburi 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Ratchaburi versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Ratchaburi

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:40 10:40 PM

Same time as Ratchaburi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,208

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ratchaburi Chiang Mai 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ratchaburi
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

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

Ratchaburi costs about 8% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,509 per month in Ratchaburi 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 $497 in Ratchaburi and $481 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,006 in Ratchaburi and $935 in Chiang Mai. That makes Chiang Mai about 7% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Ratchaburi and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,006 in Ratchaburi and $935 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,006 in Ratchaburi. 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.