Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ta Khmau and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Ta Khmau: $511 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ta Khmau, Cambodia
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Ta Khmau
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$511
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $511 per month in Ta Khmau vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Ta Khmau $511
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $812 per month in Ta Khmau vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Ta Khmau $812
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,114 per month in Ta Khmau vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Ta Khmau $1,114
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Ta Khmau is about 45% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ta Khmau and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ta Khmau 62% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ta Khmau
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.55 ៛10.4K
$2.24 ฿75.7
13.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.28 ៛99.1K
$19.00 ฿642
27.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.88 ៛28.1K
$5.55 ฿188
23.96%
Cappuccino
$1.69 ៛6,883
$1.67 ฿56.6
1.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ៛2,872
$0.64 ฿21.56
9.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 ៛1,598
$0.31 ฿10.32
25.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.02 ៛4,163
$2.36 ฿79.6
-56.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 ៛8,233
$3.66 ฿124
-44.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ta Khmau
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.24 ៛9,137
$1.95 ฿65.8
14.87%
White Bread (500g)
$1.65 ៛6,734
$1.44 ฿48.51
14.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.88 ៛3,594
$1.33 ฿45.07
-33.83%
Eggs
$1.75 ៛7,129
$2.28 ฿77.1
-23.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.60 ៛59.6K
$16.45 ฿556
-11.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.89 ៛11.8K
$2.78 ฿94.0
3.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.50 ៛38.8K
$9.31 ฿314
2.04%
Apples (1kg)
$4.28 ៛17.5K
$2.35 ฿79.5
82.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.23 ៛5,002
$0.97 ฿32.82
26.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.69 ៛15.0K
$1.60 ฿53.9
130.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.09 ៛4,435
$1.50 ฿50.7
-27.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.29 ៛5,245
$1.28 ฿43.15
0.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 ៛4,593
$1.10 ฿37.22
2.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 ៛5,305
$0.71 ฿23.84
83.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ៛3,159
$0.49 ฿16.38
57.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.35 ៛5,493
$4.14 ฿140
-67.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.04 ៛32.8K
$17.52 ฿592
-54.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.96 ៛3,905
$1.61 ฿54.5
-40.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 ៛7,321
$2.78 ฿94.0
-35.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Ta Khmau
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.87 ฿29.33
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.1 ฿1,827
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.08 ៛4,397
$1.16 ฿39.08
-6.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 ៛4,194
$0.53 ฿17.82
94.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.94 ៛20.2K
$2.42 ฿81.8
104.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 ៛5,138
$1.45 ฿48.93
-13.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.2K ៛102.8M
$21.1K ฿711.2K
19.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.8K ៛93.0M
$26.9K ฿909.8K
-15.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ta Khmau
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.9 ៛407.9K
$62.2 ฿2,100
60.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.71 ៛23.3K
$12.17 ฿411
-53.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.09 ៛61.6K
$20.12 ฿680
-25.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ta Khmau
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$37.31 ฿1,260
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.77 ฿127
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.93 ៛20.1K
$6.49 ฿219
-24.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ta Khmau
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$293 ៛1.2M
$736 ฿24.9K
-60.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,377 ៛17.9M
$14.8K ฿498.6K
-70.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ta Khmau
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.29 ៛107.3K
$53.4 ฿1,802
-50.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$13.48 ៛55.0K
$24.64 ฿832
-45.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.5 ៛279.3K
$91.5 ฿3,089
-25.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.57 ៛181.9K
$71.9 ฿2,429
-38.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ta Khmau
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 ฿34.0K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$633 ฿21.4K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,589 ฿53.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ta Khmau
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 Ta Khmau: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Ta Khmau
$230
Chiang Mai
$234 1.9% $4.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ta Khmau
$121
Chiang Mai
$94 21.8% $26
Eating Out
Ta Khmau
$75
Chiang Mai
$78 3.7% $2.8
Clothing & Footwear
Ta Khmau
$69
Chiang Mai
$109 58% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Ta Khmau
$9.9 *
Chiang Mai
$50 409% $40
Getting Around
Ta Khmau
$6.2 *
Chiang Mai
$61 887% $55
Accommodation & Living
Ta Khmau
- *
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 $24 in Ta Khmau versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $230 in Ta Khmau vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Ta Khmau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇰🇭 Ta Khmau
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
21:13 9:13 PM
21:13 9:13 PM
Same time as Ta Khmau
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
52,066
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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,081 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.45 USD). 1 EUR = 4,542 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ta Khmau Chiang Mai 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ta Khmau
  • 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
Ta Khmau vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ta Khmau or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 83% more than Ta Khmau, 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 Ta Khmau and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $766 per month in Ta Khmau and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does it cost to live in Ta Khmau compared to Chiang Mai?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $511 in Ta Khmau and $936 in Chiang Mai. That’s a gap of about 83%.
How do dining costs compare in Ta Khmau and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Ta Khmau and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Ta Khmau or in Chiang Mai?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $511 in Ta Khmau and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Ta Khmau or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $511 in Ta Khmau to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Ta Khmau compared to Chiang Mai?
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.

Ta Khmau vs other spots: cost of living compared

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