Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Songdo-dong and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,449 in Songdo-dong, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Songdo-dong
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Songdo-dong Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Songdo-dong

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,449

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,449 per month in Songdo-dong vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Songdo-dong $1,449
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,306 per month in Songdo-dong vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Songdo-dong $2,306
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,163 per month in Songdo-dong vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Songdo-dong $3,163
Chiang Mai $1,979

Songdo-dong costs about 55% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Songdo-dong sits 6% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.94 ₩7,971

$2.24 ฿75.7

165.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.30 ₩47.4K

$19.00 ฿642

85.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 ₩9,212

$5.55 ฿188

23.60%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ₩5,009

$1.67 ฿56.6

123.35%

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

$1.61 ₩2,157

$0.64 ฿21.56

151.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₩801

$0.31 ฿10.32

93.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₩4,035

$2.36 ฿79.6

27.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₩6,066

$3.66 ฿124

23.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ₩2,946

$1.95 ฿65.8

12.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₩4,108

$1.44 ฿48.51

112.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₩3,060

$1.33 ฿45.07

71.43%

Eggs

$3.26 ₩4,384

$2.28 ฿77.1

42.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.03 ₩21.5K

$16.45 ฿556

-2.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 ₩10.5K

$2.78 ฿94.0

180.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ₩15.3K

$9.31 ฿314

22.34%

Apples (1kg)

$7.58 ₩10.2K

$2.35 ฿79.5

222.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 ₩4,308

$0.97 ฿32.82

230.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.53 ₩10.1K

$1.60 ฿53.9

370.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.13 ₩9,576

$1.50 ฿50.7

375.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₩4,666

$1.28 ฿43.15

171.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 ₩3,322

$1.10 ฿37.22

124.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 ₩2,824

$0.71 ฿23.84

195.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₩1,989

$0.49 ฿16.38

202.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 ₩4,491

$4.14 ฿140

-19.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ₩25.2K

$17.52 ฿592

7.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,063

$1.61 ฿54.5

41.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 ₩5,037

$1.16 ฿39.08

223.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩824

$0.53 ฿17.82

15.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₩1,918

$1.45 ฿48.93

-1.38%

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

$29.3K ₩39.3M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

38.99%

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

$35.9K ₩48.2M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

33.16%

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

$215 ₩288.5K

$62.2 ฿2,100

245.65%

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

$44.58 ₩59.9K

$12.17 ฿411

266.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.85 ₩28.0K

$20.12 ฿680

3.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 ₩15.4K

$6.49 ฿219

77.20%

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

$375 ₩503.5K

$736 ฿24.9K

-49.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K ₩24.3M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

22.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.5 ₩87.9K

$53.4 ฿1,802

22.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 ₩85.6K

$24.64 ฿832

158.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 ₩100.4K

$91.5 ฿3,089

-18.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₩135.1K

$71.9 ฿2,429

39.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₩599.6K

$309 ฿10.4K

44.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 ₩2.6M

$1,006 ฿34.0K

92.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 ₩1.4M

$633 ฿21.4K

68.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,493 ₩4.7M

$590 ฿19.9K

492.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

5.57

-26.39%

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

Last update for Songdo-dong: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Songdo-dong

$447 30.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 30.8% $138

Groceries & Markets

Songdo-dong

$409 * 28.3%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 42.8% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Songdo-dong

$280 19.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 66.3% $186

Eating Out

Songdo-dong

$146 10.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 46.8% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Songdo-dong

$137 9.5%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 20.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Songdo-dong

$23 * 1.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 119% $27

Getting Around

Songdo-dong

$6.8 * 0.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 800% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Songdo-dong versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Songdo-dong

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

01:42 1:42 AM

2 h behind Songdo-dong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Songdo-dong Chiang Mai 3,390 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Songdo-dong
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

Songdo-dong vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Songdo-dong costs about 55% 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 $2,173 per month in Songdo-dong and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Songdo-dong 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 75% more in Songdo-dong, 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 $1,449 in Songdo-dong 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 $1,449 in Songdo-dong. 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.

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