Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Si Racha and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $987 in Si Racha, rent and utilities included – about $610 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Si Racha, Thailand
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Si Racha
🇹🇭 Thailand
$987
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $987 per month in Si Racha vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Si Racha $987
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,612 per month in Si Racha vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Si Racha $1,612
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,237 per month in Si Racha vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Si Racha $2,237
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Si Racha costs about 5% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Si Racha and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Si Racha 27% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Si Racha
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.96 ฿99.9
$2.24 ฿75.7
32.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.14 ฿1,220
$19.00 ฿642
90.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.38 ฿215
$5.55 ฿188
14.95%
Cappuccino
$2.68 ฿90.6
$1.67 ฿56.6
60.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ฿21.25
$0.64 ฿21.56
-1.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ฿9.70
$0.31 ฿10.32
-6.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.26 ฿76.4
$2.36 ฿79.6
-4.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 ฿88.8
$3.66 ฿124
-28.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Si Racha
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 ฿60.8
$1.95 ฿65.8
-7.69%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ฿48.20
$1.44 ฿48.51
-0.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.41 ฿47.53
$1.33 ฿45.07
6.02%
Eggs
$2.23 ฿75.3
$2.28 ฿77.1
-2.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.36 ฿519
$16.45 ฿556
-6.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$2.78 ฿94.0
-7.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.96 ฿336
$9.31 ฿314
6.98%
Apples (1kg)
$3.38 ฿114
$2.35 ฿79.5
43.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.27 ฿42.77
$0.97 ฿32.82
30.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 ฿62.9
$1.60 ฿53.9
16.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.95 ฿65.9
$1.50 ฿50.7
30.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.93
$1.28 ฿43.15
-3.13%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.73
$1.10 ฿37.22
-0.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 ฿41.46
$0.71 ฿23.84
73.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 ฿16.15
$0.49 ฿16.38
-2.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.44 ฿150
$4.14 ฿140
7.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.15 ฿511
$17.52 ฿592
-13.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ฿57.4
$1.61 ฿54.5
5.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 ฿98.4
$2.78 ฿94.0
4.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Si Racha
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.36
$0.87 ฿29.33
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$35.64 ฿1,204
$54.1 ฿1,827
-34.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.05 ฿35.61
$1.16 ฿39.08
-9.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.08 ฿36.31
$0.53 ฿17.82
103.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.67 ฿124
$2.42 ฿81.8
51.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 ฿46.33
$1.45 ฿48.93
-5.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.0K ฿1.0M
$21.1K ฿711.2K
47.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿894.3K
$26.9K ฿909.8K
-1.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Si Racha
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$106 ฿3,589
$62.2 ฿2,100
70.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.58 ฿391
$12.17 ฿411
-4.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.32 ฿652
$20.12 ฿680
-3.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Si Racha
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.43 ฿1,568
$37.31 ฿1,260
24.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.49 ฿456
$3.77 ฿127
257.82%
Cinema Ticket
$7.69 ฿260
$6.49 ฿219
18.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Si Racha
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$579 ฿19.6K
$736 ฿24.9K
-21.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.6K ฿492.9K
$14.8K ฿498.6K
-1.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Si Racha
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.1 ฿1,691
$53.4 ฿1,802
-6.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.74 ฿1,004
$24.64 ฿832
20.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.9 ฿3,205
$91.5 ฿3,089
3.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.9 ฿2,528
$71.9 ฿2,429
4.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Si Racha
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$452 ฿15.3K
$482 ฿16.3K
-6.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$296 ฿10.0K
$309 ฿10.4K
-4.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,161 ฿39.2K
$1,006 ฿34.0K
15.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$704 ฿23.8K
$633 ฿21.4K
11.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,931 ฿65.2K
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-18.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,469 ฿49.6K
$1,589 ฿53.7K
-7.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Si Racha
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,058 ฿35.7K
$590 ฿19.9K
79.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.25
5.57
-5.75%

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

Last update for Si Racha: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Si Racha
$296
Chiang Mai
$309 4.2% $13
Groceries & Markets
Si Racha
$238
Chiang Mai
$234 1.7% $4.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Si Racha
$137
Chiang Mai
$94 31.1% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Si Racha
$112
Chiang Mai
$109 3.3% $3.7
Eating Out
Si Racha
$95
Chiang Mai
$78 18.5% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Si Racha
$62
Chiang Mai
$50 18.7% $12
Getting Around
Si Racha
$46
Chiang Mai
$61 34.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $452 in Si Racha 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 79% higher in Si Racha. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Si Racha versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Si Racha
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
21:08 9:08 PM
21:08 9:08 PM
Same time as Si Racha
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
19,444
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Si Racha Chiang Mai 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Si Racha
  • 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
Si Racha vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Si Racha or Chiang Mai?
Si Racha costs about 5% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Si Racha and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,480 per month in Si Racha and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Si Racha compared to Chiang Mai?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $452 in Si Racha and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How do dining costs compare in Si Racha and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Si Racha 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 Si Racha compared to Chiang Mai?
Public transport costs about 34% less in Si Racha. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $800/month in Si Racha or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $987 in Si Racha 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: Si Racha 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 $987 in Si Racha. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Si Racha compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Si Racha or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Si Racha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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