Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suji-gu and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,362 in Suji-gu, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Suji-gu
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Suji-gu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Suji-gu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,362

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,362 per month in Suji-gu vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Suji-gu $1,362
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,251 per month in Suji-gu vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Suji-gu $2,251
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Suji-gu vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Suji-gu $3,139
Chiang Mai $1,999

Suji-gu costs about 46% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.86 ₩7,854

$2.13 ฿71.7

175.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.38 ₩46.1K

$18.62 ฿625

84.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 ₩9,209

$5.60 ฿188

22.68%

Cappuccino

$3.71 ₩4,977

$1.66 ฿55.9

123.49%

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

$1.53 ₩2,049

$0.65 ฿21.73

135.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₩826

$0.30 ฿10.24

106.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 ₩4,743

$2.32 ฿78.0

52.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 ₩5,951

$3.67 ฿123

20.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₩2,705

$2.02 ฿67.7

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₩4,090

$1.41 ฿47.29

116.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 ₩3,520

$1.39 ฿46.75

89.21%

Eggs

$3.26 ₩4,363

$2.37 ฿79.5

37.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.46 ₩20.7K

$16.52 ฿555

-6.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 ₩14.0K

$2.67 ฿89.7

289.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 ₩14.7K

$9.02 ฿303

21.84%

Apples (1kg)

$6.85 ₩9,176

$2.40 ฿80.6

185.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 ₩3,261

$1.04 ฿34.98

133.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 ₩6,050

$1.66 ฿55.7

171.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.28 ₩8,415

$1.56 ฿52.4

302.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 ₩4,491

$1.24 ฿41.57

170.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 ₩3,356

$1.09 ฿36.50

129.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 ₩2,778

$0.76 ฿25.59

172.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,528

$0.51 ฿17.27

123.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,422

$4.12 ฿138

-19.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.76 ₩18.4K

$17.93 ฿602

-23.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₩3,088

$1.62 ฿54.5

41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₩4,285

$2.82 ฿94.8

13.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₩1,459

$0.93 ฿31.39

17.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 ₩4,915

$1.18 ฿39.52

211.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩757

$0.17 ฿5.76

235.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.90 ₩11.9K

$1.81 ฿60.9

391.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ₩1,791

$1.47 ฿49.47

-8.84%

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

$29.7K ₩39.9M

$21.0K ฿705.8K

41.56%

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

$27.9K ₩37.4M

$26.5K ฿890.7K

5.30%

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

$211 ₩283.3K

$62.6 ฿2,101

237.79%

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

$35.23 ₩47.2K

$11.60 ฿390

203.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.77 ₩27.8K

$20.30 ฿682

2.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.66 ₩65.2K

$37.88 ฿1,272

28.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.08 ₩17.5K

$3.70 ฿124

253.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 ₩14.9K

$6.51 ฿219

70.66%

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

$447 ₩599.1K

$727 ฿24.4K

-38.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K ₩23.6M

$16.6K ฿556.7K

6.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 ₩84.2K

$53.5 ฿1,798

17.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.96 ₩44.2K

$24.80 ฿833

32.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 ₩91.6K

$90.4 ฿3,036

-24.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.5 ₩107.9K

$72.0 ฿2,418

11.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₩718.2K

$481 ฿16.2K

11.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₩495.1K

$310 ฿10.4K

19.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 ₩1.9M

$1,058 ฿35.5K

30.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 ₩1.4M

$659 ฿22.1K

61.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,456 ₩8.7M

$2,418 ฿81.2K

167.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,213 ₩8.3M

$1,609 ฿54.0K

286.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,132 ₩1.5M

$595 ฿20.0K

90.28%

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 Suji-gu: November 3, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Suji-gu

$386 28.4%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 38.8% $150

Accommodation & Living

Suji-gu

$369 27.1%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 16.1% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suji-gu

$267 19.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 64.7% $173

Eating Out

Suji-gu

$147 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 48% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Suji-gu

$110 8.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 1.5% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Suji-gu

$71 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 28.2% $20

Getting Around

Suji-gu

$11 * 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 441% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $536 in Suji-gu 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 run about 90% higher in Suji-gu. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Suji-gu versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Suji-gu

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

12:19 12:19 PM

2 h behind Suji-gu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

374,948

127,240

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,509 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Suji-gu Chiang Mai 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Suji-gu
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

Suji-gu vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suji-gu costs about 46% 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 $2,043 per month in Suji-gu 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 $536 in Suji-gu.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Suji-gu 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 63% more in Suji-gu, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,362 in Suji-gu and $935 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,362 in Suji-gu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Suji-gu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.