Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samut Sakhon and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Samut Sakhon and in Chiang Mai: $935 and $935 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Samut Sakhon
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Samut Sakhon Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Samut Sakhon

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Samut Sakhon vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Samut Sakhon $935
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,504 per month in Samut Sakhon vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Samut Sakhon $1,504
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,074 per month in Samut Sakhon vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Samut Sakhon $2,074
Chiang Mai $1,999

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.74 ฿58.7

$2.13 ฿72.0

-18.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.65 ฿595

$18.62 ฿628

-5.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.84 ฿197

$5.60 ฿189

4.29%

Cappuccino

$1.18 ฿39.73

$1.66 ฿56.1

-28.92%

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

$0.37 ฿12.62

$0.65 ฿21.83

-43.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ฿9.16

$0.30 ฿10.29

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 ฿64.0

$2.32 ฿78.4

-18.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ฿90.9

$3.67 ฿124

-26.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ฿52.9

$2.02 ฿68.0

-22.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.69

$1.41 ฿47.51

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿47.26

$1.39 ฿46.96

0.72%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿75.0

$2.37 ฿79.9

-6.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.45 ฿521

$16.52 ฿557

-6.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$2.67 ฿90.1

-5.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 ฿342

$9.02 ฿304

12.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 ฿120

$2.40 ฿80.9

47.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.36

$1.04 ฿35.13

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 ฿62.3

$1.66 ฿56.0

11.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 ฿63.1

$1.56 ฿52.6

19.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ฿41.60

$1.24 ฿41.76

-0.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.14

$1.09 ฿36.66

-4.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 ฿41.19

$0.76 ฿25.70

60.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ฿14.45

$0.51 ฿17.35

-15.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 ฿142

$4.12 ฿139

2.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.14 ฿612

$17.93 ฿605

1.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.6

$1.62 ฿54.8

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿99.5

$2.82 ฿95.2

4.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.93 ฿31.53

-58.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 ฿35.50

$1.18 ฿39.70

-11.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 ฿37.85

$0.17 ฿5.79

558.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ฿122

$1.81 ฿61.1

100.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ฿39.57

$1.47 ฿49.69

-20.41%

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

$44.9K ฿1.5M

$21.0K ฿708.9K

113.81%

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

$27.0K ฿911.3K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

1.86%

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

$93.8 ฿3,164

$62.6 ฿2,111

49.89%

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

$11.33 ฿382

$11.60 ฿392

-2.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.04 ฿642

$20.30 ฿685

-6.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 ฿1,697

$37.88 ฿1,278

32.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.99 ฿506

$3.70 ฿125

305.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ฿261

$6.51 ฿220

18.59%

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

$619 ฿20.9K

$727 ฿24.5K

-14.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K ฿718.4K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

28.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.60 ฿1,674

$53.5 ฿1,807

-7.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.66 ฿1,001

$24.80 ฿837

19.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 ฿3,141

$90.4 ฿3,050

2.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.5 ฿2,581

$72.0 ฿2,428

6.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$481 ฿16.2K

5.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ฿10.8K

$310 ฿10.5K

3.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 ฿39.1K

$1,058 ฿35.7K

9.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 ฿26.2K

$659 ฿22.2K

17.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,033 ฿68.6K

$2,418 ฿81.6K

-15.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,580 ฿53.3K

$1,609 ฿54.3K

-1.80%

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 Samut Sakhon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Samut Sakhon

$320 34.2%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 3.1% $9.8

Groceries & Markets

Samut Sakhon

$242 25.9%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 2.2% $5.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samut Sakhon

$124 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 23.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Samut Sakhon

$112 12%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 3.3% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Samut Sakhon

$66 7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 22.6% $15

Eating Out

Samut Sakhon

$63 6.7%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 21.5% $14

Getting Around

Samut Sakhon

$8.2 * 0.9%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 615% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $509 in Samut Sakhon 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 $18 in Samut Sakhon versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Samut Sakhon vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Samut Sakhon

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

Same time as Samut Sakhon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,515

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

Samut Sakhon Chiang Mai 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Samut Sakhon
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

Samut Sakhon vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,402 per month in Samut Sakhon 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 $509 in Samut Sakhon and $481 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 $18 in Samut Sakhon and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $619 per month in Samut Sakhon and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Samut Sakhon to $935 in Chiang Mai. 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.