Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tak and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Tak and in Chiang Mai: $938 and $925 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Tak
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Tak Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Tak

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Tak vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tak $938
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,488 per month in Tak vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tak $1,488
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,039 per month in Tak vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tak $2,039
Chiang Mai $1,903

Tak costs about 1% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Tak and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tak 31% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 ฿113

$2.29 ฿76.5

47.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.54 ฿720

$19.64 ฿656

9.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 ฿242

$5.61 ฿188

28.88%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.66 ฿55.6

4.82%

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

$0.60 ฿20.07

$0.70 ฿23.40

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿10.93

$0.31 ฿10.24

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 ฿63.8

$2.41 ฿80.4

-20.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 ฿103

$3.71 ฿124

-16.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ฿52.6

$1.95 ฿65.3

-19.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ฿44.76

$1.41 ฿47.03

-4.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.41

$1.31 ฿43.62

1.53%

Eggs

$2.16 ฿72.3

$2.18 ฿72.9

-0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.40 ฿548

$16.65 ฿556

-1.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.76 ฿92.2

5.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.41 ฿381

$9.11 ฿304

25.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿97.4

$2.39 ฿80.0

21.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.47

$1.03 ฿34.26

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.63 ฿54.4

38.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.50 ฿50.0

47.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.69

$1.29 ฿43.13

15.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.59

$1.11 ฿37.03

-4.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ฿38.47

$0.72 ฿24.08

59.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.70

$0.53 ฿17.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 ฿149

$4.31 ฿144

3.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.78 ฿561

$17.95 ฿600

-6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.58 ฿52.9

2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ฿100

$2.84 ฿95.0

5.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 ฿27.11

$0.86 ฿28.86

-5.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿45.00

$1.21 ฿40.29

11.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 ฿39.33

$0.57 ฿18.99

107.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 ฿186

$2.35 ฿78.6

136.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ฿50.4

$1.44 ฿47.96

4.86%

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

$26.3K ฿877.5K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

26.66%

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

$26.0K ฿870.1K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-2.86%

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

$85.9 ฿2,869

$62.3 ฿2,083

37.73%

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

$12.38 ฿414

$12.11 ฿405

2.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.05 ฿670

$19.94 ฿666

0.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.87 ฿1,399

$37.07 ฿1,239

12.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 ฿470

$3.78 ฿126

271.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿198

$6.50 ฿217

-8.92%

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

$595 ฿19.9K

$793 ฿26.5K

-24.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K ฿373.1K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-24.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.91 ฿1,467

$53.7 ฿1,796

-18.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.26 ฿1,011

$24.62 ฿823

22.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ฿2,686

$90.9 ฿3,036

-11.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 ฿2,647

$71.1 ฿2,378

11.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 ฿13.9K

$455 ฿15.2K

-8.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 ฿10.5K

$298 ฿9,954

5.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 ฿40.4K

$908 ฿30.4K

33.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 ฿23.1K

$554 ฿18.5K

25.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,060 ฿68.8K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

6.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,359 ฿45.4K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-5.92%

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 Tak: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tak

$314 33.5%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 5.1% $16

Groceries & Markets

Tak

$247 26.4%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 4.7% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tak

$118 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 20.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Tak

$105 11.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 2.8% $3

Eating Out

Tak

$89 9.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 11.7% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Tak

$54 5.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 6.8% $3.6

Getting Around

Tak

$10 * 1.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 480% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $416 in Tak 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 $22.00 in Tak versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $247 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Tak

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:56 9:56 PM

Same time as Tak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,900

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

Tak Chiang Mai 210 km

From you

Tak
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

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

Tak costs about 1% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,407 per month in Tak 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 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 $22.00 in Tak and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Tak, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Tak at $938. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tak it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $938 in Tak. 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, Tak makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.