Cost of Living Comparison Between Seongnam and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Seongnam and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,642 per month in Seongnam vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,473 per month in Seongnam vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,303 per month in Seongnam vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Seongnam costs about 91% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Seongnam sits 23% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.77 ₩8,591

$1.96 ฿65.9

194.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 ₩63.9K

$18.35 ฿617

133.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.36 ₩6,485

$7.48 ฿252

-41.71%

Cappuccino

$3.81 ₩5,664

$2.02 ฿67.8

88.61%

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

$1.57 ₩2,338

$0.85 ฿28.52

84.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,184

$0.36 ฿11.97

122.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 ₩3,932

$2.14 ฿71.9

23.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 ₩5,307

$3.59 ฿121

-0.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ₩3,223

$1.65 ฿55.5

31.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 ₩3,137

$1.57 ฿52.7

34.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 ₩4,689

$1.19 ฿40.05

164.71%

Eggs

$3.15 ₩4,689

$1.94 ฿65.1

62.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 ₩14.1K

$16.19 ฿545

-41.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.66 ₩11.4K

$2.99 ฿101

156.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.14 ₩50.8K

$10.94 ฿368

212.07%

Apples (1kg)

$7.87 ₩11.7K

$2.71 ฿91.2

190.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.50 ₩5,213

$1.17 ฿39.27

199.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.39 ₩8,027

$1.69 ฿56.8

218.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.70 ₩9,972

$1.60 ฿54.0

318.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 ₩5,226

$1.38 ฿46.56

154.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 ₩4,210

$1.20 ฿40.47

135.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 ₩3,883

$0.67 ฿22.51

289.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₩1,440

$0.56 ฿18.74

73.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 ₩4,884

$4.64 ฿156

-29.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.47 ₩24.5K

$17.62 ฿593

-6.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₩2,686

$1.86 ฿62.6

-2.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₩2,706

$3.30 ฿111

-44.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ₩1,573

$0.88 ฿29.70

20.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 ₩5,170

$1.36 ฿45.92

155.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ₩788

$1.34 ฿45.00

-60.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.85 ₩13.2K

$8.21 ฿276

7.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₩1,779

$1.22 ฿41.20

-1.64%

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

$27.6K ₩41.1M

$21.4K ฿718.5K

29.24%

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

$24.9K ₩37.0M

$22.5K ฿758.1K

10.48%

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

$161 ₩239.0K

$70.7 ฿2,378

127.24%

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

$34.69 ₩51.6K

$14.04 ฿472

147.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.08 ₩32.9K

$17.49 ฿589

26.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.29 ₩70.4K

$42.15 ฿1,418

12.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 ₩16.5K

$5.92 ฿199

87.67%

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

$412 ₩612.6K

$309 ฿10.4K

33.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K ₩34.3M

$14.9K ฿500.7K

55.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 ₩86.3K

$55.8 ฿1,876

4.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.77 ₩69.6K

$26.11 ฿879

79.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₩118.0K

$83.0 ฿2,793

-4.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ₩173.5K

$70.5 ฿2,371

65.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 ₩669.6K

$432 ฿14.5K

4.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 ₩994.5K

$239 ฿8,040

179.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 ₩1.6M

$822 ฿27.7K

30.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 ₩1.5M

$512 ฿17.2K

97.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,575 ₩12.8M

$1,915 ฿64.4K

347.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,115 ₩7.6M

$1,467 ฿49.4K

248.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

-17.20%

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

Last update for Seongnam: July 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $450 in Seongnam versus $432 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 $43.00 in Seongnam versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $436 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Seongnam costs about 91% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,463 per month in Seongnam and $1,292 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 $43.00 in Seongnam and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 79% more in Seongnam, 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 $861, than in Seongnam at $1,642. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seongnam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $861 versus $1,642 in Seongnam. 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, Seongnam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.