Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tumon and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Tumon: $429 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Tumon

🇬🇺 Guam

$429

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $429 per month in Tumon vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tumon $429
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,002 per month in Tumon vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tumon $2,002
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,574 per month in Tumon vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tumon $3,574
Chiang Mai $1,903

Tumon is about 54% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tumon and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tumon 68% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 $25.37

$2.29 ฿76.5

1007.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 $51.7

$19.64 ฿656

163.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.95 $12.95

$5.61 ฿188

130.84%

Cappuccino

$6.01 $6.01

$1.66 ฿55.6

262.05%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$0.70 ฿23.40

335.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$0.31 ฿10.24

877.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 $7.12

$2.41 ฿80.4

195.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$3.71 ฿124

139.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.87 $6.87

$0.86 ฿28.86

698.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.57 ฿18.99

240.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

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

$29.1K $29.1K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

8.67%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$12.11 ฿405

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

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

$793 ฿26.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,433 $2,433

$554 ฿18.5K

339.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

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 Tumon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tumon

–

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Groceries & Markets

Tumon

–

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Tumon

–

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tumon

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Eating Out

Tumon

–

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Getting Around

Tumon

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Tumon

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Tumon versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇬🇺 Tumon

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:24 12:24 AM

21:24 9:24 PM

3 h behind Tumon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,943

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tumon Chiang Mai 4,920 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tumon
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 116% more than Tumon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $643 per month in Tumon and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $429 in Tumon and $925 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 116%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Tumon and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tumon, where all-in costs run around $429, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Tumon 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. Tumon costs $429 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 Tumon. 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.