Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sacheon and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,433 in Sacheon, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Sacheon
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Sacheon Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Sacheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,433

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,433 per month in Sacheon vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sacheon $1,433
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,223 per month in Sacheon vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sacheon $2,223
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,013 per month in Sacheon vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sacheon $3,013
Chiang Mai $1,979

Sacheon costs about 53% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sacheon sits 5% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.70 ₩10.3K

$2.24 ฿75.5

243.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.45 ₩47.5K

$19.00 ฿640

86.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 ₩8,736

$5.55 ฿187

17.48%

Cappuccino

$3.77 ₩5,048

$1.67 ฿56.4

125.75%

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

$1.54 ₩2,058

$0.64 ฿21.51

140.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₩932

$0.31 ฿10.29

125.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 ₩4,710

$2.36 ฿79.5

48.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₩5,890

$3.66 ฿123

19.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ₩2,974

$1.95 ฿65.7

13.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 ₩4,314

$1.44 ฿48.41

123.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 ₩3,758

$1.33 ฿44.97

110.53%

Eggs

$2.82 ₩3,785

$2.28 ฿77.0

23.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.03 ₩14.8K

$16.45 ฿554

-32.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.98 ₩10.7K

$2.78 ฿93.8

187.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.97 ₩28.1K

$9.31 ฿314

125.24%

Apples (1kg)

$7.52 ₩10.1K

$2.35 ฿79.3

220.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.42 ₩4,587

$0.97 ฿32.75

252.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.61 ₩8,858

$1.60 ฿53.8

313.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.02 ₩8,074

$1.50 ฿50.6

301.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.68 ₩4,936

$1.28 ฿43.06

187.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 ₩3,448

$1.10 ฿37.14

133.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 ₩3,730

$0.71 ฿23.79

291.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₩1,795

$0.49 ฿16.34

173.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.47 ₩4,653

$4.14 ฿140

-16.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.05 ₩25.5K

$17.52 ฿590

8.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₩3,075

$1.61 ฿54.4

42.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₩4,725

$2.78 ฿93.8

26.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,469

$0.87 ฿29.27

26.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 ₩4,473

$1.16 ฿39.00

187.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩816

$0.53 ฿17.78

15.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.83 ₩11.8K

$2.42 ฿81.6

264.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ₩1,799

$1.45 ฿48.82

-7.59%

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

$29.3K ₩39.2M

$21.1K ฿709.7K

38.90%

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

$33.9K ₩45.4M

$26.9K ฿907.9K

25.68%

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

$209 ₩280.0K

$62.2 ฿2,095

236.05%

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

$36.36 ₩48.7K

$12.17 ฿410

198.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$20.12 ฿678

5.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 ₩72.0K

$37.31 ฿1,257

43.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.37 ₩19.3K

$3.77 ฿127

281.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 ₩15.3K

$6.49 ฿219

75.35%

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

$381 ₩510.9K

$736 ฿24.8K

-48.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩29.2M

$14.8K ฿497.6K

47.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 ₩84.7K

$53.4 ฿1,799

18.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 ₩82.6K

$24.64 ฿830

150.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 ₩98.7K

$91.5 ฿3,083

-19.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.2 ₩131.6K

$71.9 ฿2,424

36.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ₩656.9K

$482 ฿16.3K

1.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 ₩477.6K

$309 ฿10.4K

15.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 ₩1.6M

$1,006 ฿33.9K

15.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$736 ₩986.1K

$633 ฿21.3K

16.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,276 ₩9.8M

$2,363 ฿79.6K

207.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,566 ₩7.5M

$1,589 ฿53.6K

250.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,512 ₩2.0M

$590 ฿19.9K

156.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

5.57

-26.39%

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

Last update for Sacheon: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sacheon

$427 29.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 45.2% $193

Accommodation & Living

Sacheon

$356 24.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 13.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sacheon

$266 18.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 64.6% $172

Eating Out

Sacheon

$162 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 52% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Sacheon

$133 9.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 18.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Sacheon

$76 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 34.2% $26

Getting Around

Sacheon

$11 * 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 470% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Sacheon 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 Sacheon are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Sacheon versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $427 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Sacheon

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:20 10:20 AM

08:20 8:20 AM

2 h behind Sacheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,500

127,240

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sacheon Chiang Mai 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sacheon
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

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

Sacheon costs about 53% 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 $2,149 per month in Sacheon 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 $490 in Sacheon and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Sacheon and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 82% more in Sacheon, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,433 in Sacheon 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 $1,433 in Sacheon. 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, Sacheon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.