Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samsun and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Samsun and in Chiang Mai: $940 and $936 a month, rent and utilities included.

Samsun, Turkey
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Samsun
🇹🇷 Turkey
$940
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $940 per month in Samsun vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Samsun $940
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,631 per month in Samsun vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Samsun $1,631
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,321 per month in Samsun vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Samsun $2,321
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Samsun and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Samsun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.06 ₺502
$2.24 ฿75.6
349.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.3 ₺2,961
$19.00 ฿641
212.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.45 ₺522
$5.55 ฿187
88.29%
Cappuccino
$3.97 ₺198
$1.67 ฿56.5
137.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 ₺41.91
$0.64 ฿21.54
31.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ₺14.38
$0.31 ฿10.31
-6.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.86 ₺92.7
$2.36 ฿79.5
-21.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 ₺101
$3.66 ฿124
-44.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Samsun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 ₺58.5
$1.95 ฿65.7
-40.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.94 ₺96.8
$1.44 ฿48.46
34.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.73 ₺136
$1.33 ฿45.03
105.26%
Eggs
$2.44 ₺122
$2.28 ฿77.1
7.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.20 ₺409
$16.45 ฿555
-50.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.53 ₺276
$2.78 ฿93.9
98.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.33 ₺1,315
$9.31 ฿314
182.81%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ₺120
$2.35 ฿79.4
2.13%
Banana (1kg)
$2.34 ₺117
$0.97 ฿32.79
141.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.46 ₺72.9
$1.60 ฿53.9
-8.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.04 ₺51.9
$1.50 ฿50.6
-30.67%
Potato (1kg)
$0.44 ₺21.91
$1.28 ฿43.11
-65.63%
Onion (1kg)
$0.34 ₺16.82
$1.10 ฿37.18
-69.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.82 ₺40.84
$0.71 ฿23.82
15.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 ₺33.76
$0.49 ฿16.36
38.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.16 ₺108
$4.14 ฿140
-47.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.79 ₺439
$17.52 ฿591
-49.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ₺80.4
$1.61 ฿54.5
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 ₺114
$2.78 ฿93.9
-17.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Samsun
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.60 ₺30.20
$0.87 ฿29.30
-31.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.88 ₺593
$54.1 ฿1,825
-78.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.03 ₺101
$1.16 ฿39.04
75.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.63 ₺31.28
$0.53 ฿17.80
18.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.33 ₺316
$2.42 ฿81.7
161.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 ₺64.2
$1.45 ฿48.88
-11.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.2K ₺2.1M
$21.1K ฿710.5K
95.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.0K ₺1.9M
$26.9K ฿909.0K
44.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Samsun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.1 ₺4,351
$62.2 ฿2,098
40.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.43 ₺621
$12.17 ฿411
2.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.50 ₺624
$20.12 ฿679
-37.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Samsun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.67 ₺1,532
$37.31 ฿1,259
-17.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.89 ₺294
$3.77 ฿127
56.23%
Cinema Ticket
$4.05 ₺202
$6.49 ฿219
-37.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Samsun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$256 ₺12.8K
$736 ฿24.8K
-65.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$14.8K ฿498.2K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Samsun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.82 ₺1,189
$53.4 ฿1,801
-55.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.41 ₺1,518
$24.64 ฿831
23.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.7 ₺3,479
$91.5 ฿3,087
-23.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.4 ₺3,018
$71.9 ฿2,427
-15.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Samsun
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$354 ₺17.7K
$482 ฿16.3K
-26.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$246 ₺12.3K
$309 ฿10.4K
-20.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$738 ₺36.9K
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-26.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$612 ₺30.6K
$633 ฿21.4K
-3.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$973 ₺48.6K
$2,363 ฿79.7K
-58.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$664 ₺33.2K
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-58.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Samsun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$934 ₺46.7K
$590 ฿19.9K
58.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
49
5.57
779.71%

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

Last update for Samsun: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Samsun
$264
Chiang Mai
$234 11.1% $29
Accommodation & Living
Samsun
$246
Chiang Mai
$309 25.5% $63
Eating Out
Samsun
$177
Chiang Mai
$78 56.2% $100
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Samsun
$112
Chiang Mai
$94 15.7% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Samsun
$83
Chiang Mai
$109 31% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Samsun
$39
Chiang Mai
$50 29.7% $12
Getting Around
Samsun
$19
Chiang Mai
$61 215% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $354 in Samsun 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 run about 58% higher in Samsun. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Samsun versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Samsun
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
04:41 4:41 AM
08:41 8:41 AM
4 h ahead of Samsun
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,295,927
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 49.93 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 55.75 TRY (100 TRY = 1.79 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Samsun Chiang Mai 6,380 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Samsun
  • 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
Samsun vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Samsun and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,410 per month in Samsun and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Samsun or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Samsun, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $354 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do dining costs compare in Samsun and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Samsun and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How expensive is transport in Samsun compared to Chiang Mai?
Public transport costs about 78% less in Samsun. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $800/month in Samsun or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $940 in Samsun and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Samsun or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $940 in Samsun. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Samsun compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Samsun or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Samsun makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Samsun vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?