Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,829 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,829

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,829 per month in Seoul vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Seoul $1,829
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,973 per month in Seoul vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Seoul $2,973
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $4,116 per month in Seoul vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Seoul $4,116
Chiang Mai $1,999

Seoul costs about 96% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Seoul sits 35% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.87 ₩11.9K

$2.13 ฿72.0

316.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 ₩93.4K

$18.62 ฿628

272.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ₩10.1K

$5.60 ฿189

33.93%

Cappuccino

$4.04 ₩5,437

$1.66 ฿56.1

143.37%

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

$1.56 ₩2,094

$0.65 ฿21.83

140.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₩986

$0.30 ฿10.29

143.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 ₩4,917

$2.32 ฿78.4

57.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 ₩7,906

$3.67 ฿124

60.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ₩2,800

$2.02 ฿68.0

2.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 ₩4,048

$1.41 ฿47.51

113.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 ₩5,628

$1.39 ฿46.96

200.72%

Eggs

$3.63 ₩4,888

$2.37 ฿79.9

53.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.87 ₩24.0K

$16.52 ฿557

8.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₩13.9K

$2.67 ฿90.1

286.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.17 ₩35.2K

$9.02 ฿304

190.13%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,977

$2.40 ฿80.9

209.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,643

$1.04 ฿35.13

231.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.60 ₩7,528

$1.66 ฿56.0

237.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.29 ₩8,458

$1.56 ฿52.6

303.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,846

$1.24 ฿41.76

190.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,372

$1.09 ฿36.66

130.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 ₩3,731

$0.76 ฿25.70

264.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,535

$0.51 ฿17.35

123.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,604

$4.12 ฿139

-16.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ₩25.0K

$17.93 ฿605

3.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₩3,100

$1.62 ฿54.8

41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ₩4,496

$2.82 ฿95.2

18.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,506

$0.93 ฿31.53

20.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 ₩62.9K

$52.9 ฿1,785

-11.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,842

$1.18 ฿39.70

205.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩809

$0.17 ฿5.79

252.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₩11.9K

$1.81 ฿61.1

390.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ₩2,005

$1.47 ฿49.69

1.36%

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

$29.7K ₩39.9M

$21.0K ฿708.9K

41.28%

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

$28.0K ₩37.6M

$26.5K ฿894.6K

5.54%

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

$216 ₩290.3K

$62.6 ฿2,111

244.98%

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

$34.52 ₩46.4K

$11.60 ฿392

197.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.34 ₩27.4K

$20.30 ฿685

0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.2 ₩79.6K

$37.88 ฿1,278

56.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.93 ₩21.4K

$3.70 ฿125

330.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 ₩14.8K

$6.51 ฿220

69.12%

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

$1,962 ₩2.6M

$727 ฿24.5K

169.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.3K ₩35.3M

$16.6K ฿559.2K

58.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 ₩83.8K

$53.5 ฿1,807

16.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.82 ₩45.5K

$24.80 ฿837

36.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 ₩91.3K

$90.4 ฿3,050

-24.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 ₩111.5K

$72.0 ฿2,428

15.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 ₩1.2M

$481 ฿16.2K

90.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₩879.3K

$310 ฿10.5K

110.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 ₩4.2M

$1,058 ฿35.7K

192.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 ₩2.0M

$659 ฿22.2K

121.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$28.4K ₩38.2M

$2,418 ฿81.6K

1074.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.4K ₩15.3M

$1,609 ฿54.3K

607.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,496 ₩4.7M

$595 ฿20.1K

487.79%

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 Seoul: 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

Seoul

$654 35.7%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 52.6% $344

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$474 25.9%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 50% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$271 14.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 65.1% $176

Eating Out

Seoul

$181 9.9%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 57.7% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$111 6.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 2.5% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 37.3% $30

Getting Around

Seoul

$58 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 1.4% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $918 in Seoul 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.

Salaries in Seoul are about 5.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Seoul versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $474 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:51 1:51 AM

23:51 11:51 PM

2 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.43 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1,345 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Seoul Chiang Mai 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
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

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

Seoul costs about 96% 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 $2,744 per month in Seoul and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $918 in Seoul.

Kindergarten costs $1,962 per month in Seoul and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 100% more in Seoul, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,829 in Seoul and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.