Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surat Thani and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat Thani: $775 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Surat Thani
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Surat Thani Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Surat Thani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$775

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $775 per month in Surat Thani vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Surat Thani $775
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Surat Thani vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Surat Thani $1,414
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,053 per month in Surat Thani vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Surat Thani $2,053
Chiang Mai $1,903

Surat Thani is about 16% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Surat Thani and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Surat Thani 43% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.89 ฿63.0

$2.29 ฿76.5

-17.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.87 ฿597

$19.64 ฿656

-9.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 ฿151

$5.61 ฿188

-19.61%

Cappuccino

$1.50 ฿50.2

$1.66 ฿55.6

-9.64%

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

$0.50 ฿16.68

$0.70 ฿23.40

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.66

$0.31 ฿10.24

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿85.4

$2.41 ฿80.4

6.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 ฿123

$3.71 ฿124

-0.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.4

$1.95 ฿65.3

-14.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ฿39.89

$1.41 ฿47.03

-15.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.13

$1.31 ฿43.62

-10.69%

Eggs

$1.87 ฿62.4

$2.18 ฿72.9

-14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 ฿641

$16.65 ฿556

15.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ฿111

$2.76 ฿92.2

20.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 ฿249

$9.11 ฿304

-18.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿97.2

$2.39 ฿80.0

21.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.3

$1.03 ฿34.26

63.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 ฿58.7

$1.63 ฿54.4

7.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.50 ฿50.0

36.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.57

$1.29 ฿43.13

0.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.90

$1.11 ฿37.03

23.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ฿37.24

$0.72 ฿24.08

54.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.66

$0.53 ฿17.59

-22.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ฿103

$4.31 ฿144

-28.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.86 ฿630

$17.95 ฿600

5.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ฿51.6

$1.58 ฿52.9

-2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$2.84 ฿95.0

-35.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ฿34.00

$0.86 ฿28.86

18.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 ฿700

$53.3 ฿1,780

-60.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.50

$1.21 ฿40.29

-2.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ฿21.05

$0.57 ฿18.99

10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ฿117

$2.35 ฿78.6

48.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ฿38.93

$1.44 ฿47.96

-19.44%

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

$26.6K ฿890.1K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

28.47%

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

$27.3K ฿911.7K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

1.79%

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

$72.9 ฿2,437

$62.3 ฿2,083

16.99%

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

$11.12 ฿372

$12.11 ฿405

-8.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.32 ฿579

$19.94 ฿666

-13.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.24 ฿1,612

$37.07 ฿1,239

30.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.52 ฿385

$3.78 ฿126

204.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 ฿151

$6.50 ฿217

-30.31%

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

$549 ฿18.3K

$793 ฿26.5K

-30.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿386.5K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-21.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 ฿2,070

$53.7 ฿1,796

15.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 ฿974

$24.62 ฿823

18.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 ฿3,252

$90.9 ฿3,036

7.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 ฿2,892

$71.1 ฿2,378

21.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,910

$455 ฿15.2K

-48.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 ฿4,985

$298 ฿9,954

-49.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 ฿38.4K

$908 ฿30.4K

26.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 ฿23.7K

$554 ฿18.5K

28.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 ฿74.4K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

15.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,404 ฿46.9K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-2.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Surat Thani: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surat Thani

$244 31.5%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 3.6% $8.7

Accommodation & Living

Surat Thani

$149 19.3%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 99.7% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Surat Thani

$124 16%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 12.6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surat Thani

$101 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 6.9% $7

Eating Out

Surat Thani

$70 9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 12.4% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Surat Thani

$57 7.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 12.6% $7.2

Getting Around

Surat Thani

$29 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 107% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $237 in Surat Thani versus $455 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Surat Thani versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Surat Thani vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Surat Thani

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

Same time as Surat Thani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

132,040

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Surat Thani Chiang Mai 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Surat Thani
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

Surat Thani vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Surat Thani, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,163 per month in Surat Thani and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surat Thani, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $549 per month in Surat Thani and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surat Thani, where all-in costs run around $775, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Surat Thani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Surat Thani costs $775 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Surat Thani. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.