Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rayong and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Rayong and in Chiang Mai: $950 and $925 a month, rent and utilities included.

46

Cost of Living Index in Rayong
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Rayong Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Rayong

🇹🇭 Thailand

$950

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $950 per month in Rayong vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rayong $950
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,203 per month in Rayong vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rayong $1,203
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,456 per month in Rayong vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rayong $1,456
Chiang Mai $1,903

Rayong costs about 3% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rayong and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Rayong 30% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ฿102

$2.29 ฿76.5

32.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.58 ฿588

$19.64 ฿656

-10.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 ฿254

$5.61 ฿188

35.29%

Cappuccino

$1.61 ฿53.7

$1.66 ฿55.6

-3.01%

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

$0.51 ฿17.13

$0.70 ฿23.40

-27.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ฿8.58

$0.31 ฿10.24

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ฿59.3

$2.41 ฿80.4

-26.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ฿102

$3.71 ฿124

-17.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ฿61.4

$1.95 ฿65.3

-5.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ฿45.38

$1.41 ฿47.03

-3.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.22

$1.31 ฿43.62

3.05%

Eggs

$2.62 ฿87.6

$2.18 ฿72.9

20.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.45 ฿583

$16.65 ฿556

4.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿97.0

$2.76 ฿92.2

5.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.82 ฿429

$9.11 ฿304

40.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 ฿108

$2.39 ฿80.0

35.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ฿60.5

$1.03 ฿34.26

75.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 ฿72.5

$1.63 ฿54.4

33.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ฿63.9

$1.50 ฿50.0

27.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$1.29 ฿43.13

37.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 ฿52.3

$1.11 ฿37.03

41.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ฿42.55

$0.72 ฿24.08

76.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.23

$0.53 ฿17.59

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.88 ฿163

$4.31 ฿144

13.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 ฿499

$17.95 ฿600

-16.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ฿58.4

$1.58 ฿52.9

10.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿106

$2.84 ฿95.0

11.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ฿34.01

$1.21 ฿40.29

-15.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$0.57 ฿18.99

105.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 ฿205

$2.35 ฿78.6

161.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿45.39

$1.44 ฿47.96

-5.56%

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

$30.9K ฿1.0M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

48.98%

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

$27.0K ฿904.0K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

0.93%

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

$44.36 ฿1,482

$62.3 ฿2,083

-28.83%

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

$14.73 ฿492

$12.11 ฿405

21.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.11 ฿405

$19.94 ฿666

-39.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,284

$37.07 ฿1,239

84.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.17 ฿607

$3.78 ฿126

380.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.72 ฿225

$6.50 ฿217

3.38%

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

$572 ฿19.1K

$793 ฿26.5K

-27.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ฿569.2K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

15.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 ฿2,389

$53.7 ฿1,796

33.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.48 ฿1,420

$24.62 ฿823

72.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ฿3,383

$90.9 ฿3,036

11.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ฿3,567

$71.1 ฿2,378

50.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 ฿13.9K

$455 ฿15.2K

-8.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,965

$298 ฿9,954

0.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,981 ฿66.2K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

37.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$460 ฿15.4K

$591 ฿19.7K

-22.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

5.57

-5.75%

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

Last update for Rayong: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rayong

$298 31.4%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 0.1% $0.3

Groceries & Markets

Rayong

$263 27.7%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 10.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Rayong

$145 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 25.3% $37

Eating Out

Rayong

$84 8.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 6.9% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Rayong

$82 8.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 38.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rayong

$71 7.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 32.6% $23

Getting Around

Rayong

$6.9 * 0.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 785% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $415 in Rayong versus $455 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 28% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Rayong versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $263 in Rayong vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Rayong

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

Same time as Rayong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,565

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rayong Chiang Mai 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Rayong
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

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

Rayong costs about 3% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,425 per month in Rayong and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Rayong and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Rayong, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Rayong at $950. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rayong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $950 in Rayong. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rayong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.