Cost of Living Comparison Between Surin and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Surin and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $898 per month in Surin vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,476 per month in Surin vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,054 per month in Surin vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Surin costs about 4% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Surin and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Surin 33% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.12 ฿102

$1.94 ฿63.8

60.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.39 ฿898

$18.64 ฿611

46.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 ฿206

$7.82 ฿256

-19.69%

Cappuccino

$2.09 ฿68.5

$1.95 ฿64.1

7.18%

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

$0.72 ฿23.73

$0.85 ฿27.88

-15.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.05

$0.35 ฿11.63

48.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 ฿82.5

$2.13 ฿69.9

18.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$3.73 ฿122

0.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ฿57.2

$1.71 ฿56.2

2.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 ฿44.42

$1.63 ฿53.4

-17.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.40

$1.14 ฿37.30

15.79%

Eggs

$2.12 ฿69.5

$1.93 ฿63.4

9.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 ฿614

$16.21 ฿532

15.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ฿101

$3.12 ฿102

-1.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿353

$10.90 ฿357

-1.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 ฿104

$2.75 ฿90.3

15.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.37

$1.21 ฿39.68

-0.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ฿64.6

$1.62 ฿53.2

21.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.8

$1.59 ฿52.0

-0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿47.94

$1.40 ฿45.89

4.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ฿40.73

$1.17 ฿38.32

5.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.05

$0.66 ฿21.69

48.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.17

$0.53 ฿17.29

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿141

$4.69 ฿154

-8.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿574

$18.66 ฿612

-6.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ฿57.4

$1.80 ฿59.0

-2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.4

$3.23 ฿106

-14.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ฿31.07

$0.90 ฿29.37

5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿630

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 ฿36.33

$1.41 ฿46.10

-21.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 ฿37.48

$1.29 ฿42.29

-11.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.09 ฿200

$7.84 ฿257

-22.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ฿40.64

$1.27 ฿41.75

-2.36%

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

$27.6K ฿905.9K

$21.3K ฿697.7K

29.84%

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

$27.4K ฿899.7K

$22.2K ฿728.3K

23.53%

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

$74.8 ฿2,453

$69.1 ฿2,265

8.30%

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

$13.55 ฿444

$14.08 ฿462

-3.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.29 ฿600

$18.00 ฿590

1.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ฿1,600

$41.06 ฿1,346

18.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.29 ฿403

$6.96 ฿228

76.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 ฿239

$5.92 ฿194

23.14%

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

$303 ฿9,941

$299 ฿9,805

1.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,812 ฿321.7K

$15.0K ฿490.3K

-34.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.21 ฿1,122

$54.7 ฿1,794

-37.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.10 ฿1,151

$26.77 ฿878

31.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ฿3,242

$85.0 ฿2,787

16.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 ฿2,335

$70.6 ฿2,315

0.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 ฿13.7K

$428 ฿14.0K

-2.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 ฿9,294

$237 ฿7,782

19.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 ฿26.5K

$801 ฿26.3K

0.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 ฿21.7K

$515 ฿16.9K

28.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,820 ฿59.7K

$1,975 ฿64.7K

-7.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,554 ฿51.0K

$1,475 ฿48.4K

5.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

9.00%

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

Last update for Surin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Surin versus $428 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 $27.00 in Surin versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $246 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Surin costs about 4% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,348 per month in Surin and $1,300 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Surin and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Surin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $898 in Surin and $866 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $866 versus $898 in Surin. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Surin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.