Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Svay Rieng and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Svay Rieng: $603 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Svay Rieng, Cambodia
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Svay Rieng
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$603
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $603 per month in Svay Rieng vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Svay Rieng $603
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $980 per month in Svay Rieng vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Svay Rieng $980
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,358 per month in Svay Rieng vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Svay Rieng $1,358
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Svay Rieng is about 36% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Svay Rieng and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Svay Rieng 56% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Svay Rieng
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.05 ៛8,347
$2.24 ฿75.5
-8.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.05 ៛163.2K
$19.00 ฿640
110.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.04 ៛28.7K
$5.55 ฿187
26.85%
Cappuccino
$0.79 ៛3,209
$1.67 ฿56.4
-52.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ៛1,950
$0.64 ฿21.51
-25.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.24 ៛970
$0.31 ฿10.29
-22.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.97 ៛3,972
$2.36 ฿79.5
-58.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 ៛12.4K
$3.66 ฿123
-16.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Svay Rieng
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.20 ៛8,959
$1.95 ฿65.7
12.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.60 ៛6,502
$1.44 ฿48.41
11.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.08 ៛4,404
$1.33 ฿44.97
-18.80%
Eggs
$1.80 ៛7,335
$2.28 ฿77.0
-21.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.31 ៛58.3K
$16.45 ฿554
-13.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.56 ៛18.6K
$2.78 ฿93.8
64.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.43 ៛38.4K
$9.31 ฿314
1.29%
Apples (1kg)
$4.27 ៛17.4K
$2.35 ฿79.3
81.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 ៛6,973
$0.97 ฿32.75
76.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.56 ៛18.6K
$1.60 ฿53.8
185.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.98 ៛8,049
$1.50 ฿50.6
32.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.73 ៛7,058
$1.28 ฿43.06
35.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.26 ៛5,148
$1.10 ฿37.14
14.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 ៛5,688
$0.71 ฿23.79
97.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ៛3,139
$0.49 ฿16.34
57.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.91 ៛7,795
$4.14 ฿140
-53.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.81 ៛44.0K
$17.52 ฿590
-38.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 ៛3,848
$1.61 ฿54.4
-41.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 ៛7,244
$2.78 ฿93.8
-35.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Svay Rieng
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.87 ฿29.27
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.1 ฿1,823
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.08 ៛4,402
$1.16 ฿39.00
-6.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ៛4,131
$0.53 ฿17.78
90.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 ៛20.2K
$2.42 ฿81.6
105.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 ៛4,754
$1.45 ฿48.82
-19.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.6K ៛141.1M
$21.1K ฿709.7K
64.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.9K ៛178.8M
$26.9K ฿907.9K
62.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Svay Rieng
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$121 ៛494.7K
$62.2 ฿2,095
95.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.36 ៛30.0K
$12.17 ฿410
-39.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.05 ៛102.1K
$20.12 ฿678
24.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Svay Rieng
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.51 ៛99.9K
$37.31 ฿1,257
-34.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.77 ฿127
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 ៛20.7K
$6.49 ฿219
-21.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Svay Rieng
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$597 ៛2.4M
$736 ฿24.8K
-18.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K ៛45.2M
$14.8K ฿497.6K
-24.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Svay Rieng
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.37 ៛115.6K
$53.4 ฿1,799
-46.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.91 ៛97.4K
$24.64 ฿830
-2.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.3 ៛376.0K
$91.5 ฿3,083
0.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.9 ៛244.2K
$71.9 ฿2,424
-16.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Svay Rieng
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$482 ฿16.3K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$309 ฿10.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$633 ฿21.3K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,363 ฿79.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Svay Rieng
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.94
5.57
42.55%

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

Last update for Svay Rieng: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Svay Rieng
$256
Chiang Mai
$234 8.4% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Svay Rieng
$154
Chiang Mai
$94 38.6% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Svay Rieng
$92
Chiang Mai
$109 18.1% $17
Eating Out
Svay Rieng
$61
Chiang Mai
$78 27.7% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Svay Rieng
$35
Chiang Mai
$50 44.9% $16
Getting Around
Svay Rieng
$6.2 *
Chiang Mai
$61 898% $55
Accommodation & Living
Svay Rieng
- *
Chiang Mai
$309

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Svay Rieng versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇭 Svay Rieng
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
12:47 12:47 PM
12:47 12:47 PM
Same time as Svay Rieng
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
23,956
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KHR – Cambodian Riel Converter

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 4,075 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.45 USD). 1 EUR = 4,567 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Svay Rieng Chiang Mai 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Svay Rieng
  • 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
Svay Rieng vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Svay Rieng or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 55% more than Svay Rieng, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Svay Rieng and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $905 per month in Svay Rieng and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do dining costs compare in Svay Rieng and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Svay Rieng and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Svay Rieng or in Chiang Mai?
Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Svay Rieng or in Chiang Mai?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $603 in Svay Rieng and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Svay Rieng or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $603 in Svay Rieng to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Svay Rieng compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Svay Rieng vs other spots: cost of living compared

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