Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Songkhla and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Songkhla: $837 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

40

Cost of Living Index in Songkhla
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Songkhla Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Songkhla

🇹🇭 Thailand

$837

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $837 per month in Songkhla vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Songkhla $837
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,340 per month in Songkhla vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Songkhla $1,340
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,844 per month in Songkhla vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Songkhla $1,844
Chiang Mai $1,979

Songkhla is about 11% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Songkhla and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Songkhla 39% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.76 ฿59.5

$2.24 ฿75.7

-21.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.63 ฿832

$19.00 ฿642

29.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ฿158

$5.55 ฿188

-15.50%

Cappuccino

$1.63 ฿54.9

$1.67 ฿56.6

-2.40%

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

$0.67 ฿22.66

$0.64 ฿21.56

4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ฿8.48

$0.31 ฿10.32

-19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 ฿59.0

$2.36 ฿79.6

-25.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 ฿161

$3.66 ฿124

30.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ฿53.8

$1.95 ฿65.8

-18.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ฿28.85

$1.44 ฿48.51

-40.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 ฿55.4

$1.33 ฿45.07

23.31%

Eggs

$1.38 ฿46.68

$2.28 ฿77.1

-39.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.82 ฿568

$16.45 ฿556

2.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.69 ฿90.8

$2.78 ฿94.0

-3.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ฿353

$9.31 ฿314

12.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 ฿96.5

$2.35 ฿79.5

21.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ฿56.4

$0.97 ฿32.82

72.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿74.5

$1.60 ฿53.9

38.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ฿42.40

$1.50 ฿50.7

-16.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.28 ฿43.15

14.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ฿57.6

$1.10 ฿37.22

54.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ฿37.47

$0.71 ฿23.84

56.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ฿30.57

$0.49 ฿16.38

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿144

$4.14 ฿140

2.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 ฿454

$17.52 ฿592

-23.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 ฿52.4

$1.61 ฿54.5

-3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 ฿155

$2.78 ฿94.0

65.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.94

$0.87 ฿29.33

-1.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 ฿2,049

$54.1 ฿1,827

12.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.85

$1.16 ฿39.08

4.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ฿25.56

$0.53 ฿17.82

43.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.84 ฿197

$2.42 ฿81.8

141.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ฿41.00

$1.45 ฿48.93

-16.55%

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

$26.3K ฿889.5K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

25.08%

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

$31.3K ฿1.1M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

16.23%

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

$85.3 ฿2,879

$62.2 ฿2,100

37.14%

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

$12.64 ฿427

$12.17 ฿411

3.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.03 ฿609

$20.12 ฿680

-10.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.35 ฿1,633

$37.31 ฿1,260

29.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.08 ฿442

$3.77 ฿127

246.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.91 ฿200

$6.49 ฿219

-8.94%

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

$571 ฿19.3K

$736 ฿24.9K

-22.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K ฿372.9K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-25.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 ฿1,745

$53.4 ฿1,802

-3.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.14 ฿984

$24.64 ฿832

18.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 ฿2,591

$91.5 ฿3,089

-16.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 ฿2,607

$71.9 ฿2,429

7.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,059

$482 ฿16.3K

-50.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ฿6,021

$309 ฿10.4K

-42.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 ฿20.0K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-41.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 ฿13.9K

$633 ฿21.4K

-34.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,933 ฿65.3K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-18.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,456 ฿49.2K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-8.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$801 ฿27.1K

$590 ฿19.9K

35.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.33

5.57

67.50%

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

Last update for Songkhla: 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

Songkhla

$238 28.5%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 1.6% $3.8

Accommodation & Living

Songkhla

$178 21.3%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 73.3% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Songkhla

$116 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 18.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Songkhla

$106 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 2.8% $3

Eating Out

Songkhla

$70 8.3%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 11.4% $8

Getting Around

Songkhla

$69 8.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 11.2% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Songkhla

$60 7.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 16.4% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $239 in Songkhla 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 36% higher in Songkhla, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Songkhla 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

🇹🇭 Songkhla

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:13 6:13 AM

Same time as Songkhla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,758

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Songkhla Chiang Mai 1,300 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Songkhla
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 12% more than Songkhla, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,255 per month in Songkhla 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 Songkhla, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $239 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Songkhla and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $837 in Songkhla and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Songkhla – 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.