Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seongnam and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,418 in Seongnam, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Seongnam
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Seongnam Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Seongnam

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,418

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,418 per month in Seongnam vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Seongnam $1,418
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,361 per month in Seongnam vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Seongnam $2,361
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,305 per month in Seongnam vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Seongnam $3,305
Chiang Mai $1,979

Seongnam costs about 52% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seongnam sits 4% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.95 ₩9,225

$2.24 ฿75.7

210.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 ₩55.2K

$19.00 ฿642

119.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.83 ₩9,067

$5.55 ฿188

23.06%

Cappuccino

$4.03 ₩5,345

$1.67 ฿56.6

141.32%

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

$1.56 ₩2,066

$0.64 ฿21.56

143.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₩1,003

$0.31 ฿10.32

145.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 ₩4,686

$2.36 ฿79.6

49.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ₩5,054

$3.66 ฿124

4.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₩3,066

$1.95 ฿65.8

18.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 ₩4,222

$1.44 ฿48.51

120.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 ₩4,920

$1.33 ฿45.07

178.95%

Eggs

$3.67 ₩4,865

$2.28 ฿77.1

60.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 ₩12.1K

$16.45 ฿556

-44.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 ₩10.7K

$2.78 ฿94.0

189.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.41 ₩27.1K

$9.31 ฿314

119.23%

Apples (1kg)

$7.56 ₩10.0K

$2.35 ฿79.5

221.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.56 ₩4,723

$0.97 ฿32.82

267.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.65 ₩7,494

$1.60 ฿53.9

253.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.81 ₩9,042

$1.50 ฿50.7

354.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩4,983

$1.28 ฿43.15

193.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 ₩3,481

$1.10 ฿37.22

138.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 ₩3,892

$0.71 ฿23.84

312.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₩1,786

$0.49 ฿16.38

175.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 ₩4,615

$4.14 ฿140

-15.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.94 ₩25.1K

$17.52 ฿592

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₩2,784

$1.61 ฿54.5

30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₩2,558

$2.78 ฿94.0

-30.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₩1,444

$0.87 ฿29.33

25.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 ₩4,840

$1.16 ฿39.08

214.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₩888

$0.53 ฿17.82

26.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₩11.6K

$2.42 ฿81.8

261.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ₩1,845

$1.45 ฿48.93

-4.14%

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

$30.0K ₩39.8M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

42.35%

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

$28.1K ₩37.2M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

4.16%

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

$215 ₩285.2K

$62.2 ฿2,100

245.68%

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

$36.76 ₩48.8K

$12.17 ฿411

202.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.23 ₩28.2K

$20.12 ฿680

5.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ₩73.1K

$37.31 ฿1,260

47.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.12 ₩18.7K

$3.77 ฿127

274.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 ₩15.1K

$6.49 ฿219

75.35%

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

$379 ₩503.1K

$736 ฿24.9K

-48.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K ₩24.0M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

22.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 ₩76.5K

$53.4 ฿1,802

8.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.54 ₩43.2K

$24.64 ฿832

32.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 ₩94.7K

$91.5 ฿3,089

-21.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.4 ₩112.0K

$71.9 ฿2,429

17.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$488 ₩647.2K

$482 ฿16.3K

1.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ₩478.0K

$309 ฿10.4K

16.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 ₩1.5M

$1,006 ฿34.0K

15.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 ₩1.4M

$633 ฿21.4K

65.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,247 ₩9.6M

$2,363 ฿79.8K

206.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,589 ₩7.4M

$1,589 ฿53.7K

251.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.57

-26.75%

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

Last update for Seongnam: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Seongnam

$426 30%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 44.9% $191

Accommodation & Living

Seongnam

$360 25.4%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 14.2% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seongnam

$273 19.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 65.4% $178

Eating Out

Seongnam

$159 11.2%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 51.2% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Seongnam

$111 7.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 1.9% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Seongnam

$78 5.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 35.4% $28

Getting Around

Seongnam

$11 * 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 441% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $488 in Seongnam 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Seongnam versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $426 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seongnam

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:19 8:19 PM

18:19 6:19 PM

2 h behind Seongnam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

967,510

127,240

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,327 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD). 1 EUR = 1,477 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seongnam Chiang Mai 3,430 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seongnam
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

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

Seongnam costs about 52% 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 $2,127 per month in Seongnam 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 $488 in Seongnam 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 $42 in Seongnam 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 Seongnam, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,418 in Seongnam 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 $1,418 in Seongnam. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.