Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sakon Nakhon and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakon Nakhon: $847 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $940 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

42

Cost of Living Index in Sakon Nakhon
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Sakon Nakhon Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Sakon Nakhon

🇹🇭 Thailand

$847

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $844 per month in Sakon Nakhon vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sakon Nakhon $844
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,336 per month in Sakon Nakhon vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sakon Nakhon $1,336
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,827 per month in Sakon Nakhon vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sakon Nakhon $1,827
Chiang Mai $1,914

Sakon Nakhon is about 10% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sakon Nakhon and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sakon Nakhon 37% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.51 ฿50.5

$2.29 ฿76.5

-34.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.73 ฿492

$19.64 ฿656

-25.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.61 ฿188

-46.88%

Cappuccino

$1.47 ฿49.00

$1.66 ฿55.6

-11.45%

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

$0.68 ฿22.56

$0.70 ฿23.40

-2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ฿9.11

$0.31 ฿10.24

-12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$2.41 ฿80.4

-10.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$3.71 ฿124

-42.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ฿80.8

$1.95 ฿65.3

24.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ฿44.46

$1.41 ฿47.03

-5.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.16

$1.31 ฿43.62

-10.69%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿74.0

$2.18 ฿72.9

1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 ฿352

$16.65 ฿556

-36.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.59 ฿86.4

$2.76 ฿92.2

-6.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.42 ฿348

$9.11 ฿304

14.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 ฿107

$2.39 ฿80.0

34.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.28

$1.03 ฿34.26

2.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 ฿74.6

$1.63 ฿54.4

36.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 ฿62.9

$1.50 ฿50.0

25.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿49.16

$1.29 ฿43.13

13.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.43

$1.11 ฿37.03

30.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 ฿16.72

$0.72 ฿24.08

-30.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.33

$0.53 ฿17.59

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 ฿142

$4.31 ฿144

-1.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ฿55.1

$1.58 ฿52.9

4.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.84 ฿95.0

2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.04

$0.86 ฿28.86

1.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ฿49.44

$1.21 ฿40.29

22.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 ฿37.18

$0.57 ฿18.99

94.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.78 ฿227

$2.35 ฿78.6

188.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿43.50

$1.44 ฿47.96

-9.72%

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

$24.4K ฿814.0K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

17.49%

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

$24.5K ฿817.4K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-8.74%

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

$83.3 ฿2,783

$62.3 ฿2,083

33.63%

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

$9.84 ฿329

$12.11 ฿405

-18.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.45 ฿516

$19.94 ฿666

-22.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.81 ฿1,564

$37.07 ฿1,239

26.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.17 ฿473

$3.78 ฿126

274.87%

Cinema Ticket

$3.50 ฿117

$6.50 ฿217

-46.15%

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

$569 ฿19.0K

$793 ฿26.5K

-28.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ฿349.9K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-29.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.59 ฿655

$53.7 ฿1,796

-63.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$6.64 ฿222

$24.62 ฿823

-73.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ฿3,960

$90.9 ฿3,036

30.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$71.1 ฿2,378

3.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$388 ฿13.0K

$455 ฿15.2K

-14.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 ฿9,563

$298 ฿9,954

-3.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 ฿37.4K

$908 ฿30.4K

23.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 ฿25.7K

$554 ฿18.5K

38.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,181 ฿72.9K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

12.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,291 ฿43.1K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-10.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$753 ฿25.2K

$591 ฿19.7K

27.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Sakon Nakhon: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sakon Nakhon

$286 33.8%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 4.1% $12

Groceries & Markets

Sakon Nakhon

$233 27.5%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 1.2% $2.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sakon Nakhon

$109 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 13.1% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Sakon Nakhon

$98 11.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 10.2% $10

Eating Out

Sakon Nakhon

$57 6.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 36.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Sakon Nakhon

$54 6.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 7% $3.8

Getting Around

Sakon Nakhon

$11 * 1.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 478% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $506 in Sakon Nakhon versus $464 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 24% higher in Sakon Nakhon, 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 $15.00 in Sakon Nakhon versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $238 – making Sakon Nakhon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Sakon Nakhon

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:00 5:00 PM

Same time as Sakon Nakhon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,100

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sakon Nakhon Chiang Mai 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sakon Nakhon
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

Sakon Nakhon vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 11% more than Sakon Nakhon, 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 $1,266 per month in Sakon Nakhon and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sakon Nakhon, 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 $15.00 in Sakon Nakhon and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sakon Nakhon, where all-in costs run around $844, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Sakon Nakhon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sakon Nakhon costs $844 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. 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 Sakon Nakhon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.