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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,136 per month in Vac vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,780 per month in Vac vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,424 per month in Vac vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Vac costs about 33% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Vac and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Vac 15% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.82 Ft 2,753

$1.96 ฿64.0

350.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.76 Ft 14.3K

$18.81 ฿615

143.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.75 Ft 2,729

$7.92 ฿259

10.48%

Cappuccino

$2.09 Ft 651

$1.91 ฿62.6

9.42%

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

$1.38 Ft 431

$0.84 ฿27.41

64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 Ft 338

$0.35 ฿11.51

208.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 Ft 594

$2.21 ฿72.1

-14.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 Ft 680

$3.80 ฿124

-42.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 Ft 342

$1.64 ฿53.5

-32.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 Ft 465

$1.62 ฿53.1

-8.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 Ft 567

$1.18 ฿38.62

54.24%

Eggs

$2.69 Ft 838

$2.01 ฿65.8

33.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.53 Ft 2,974

$15.89 ฿520

-40.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 Ft 1,823

$3.01 ฿98.5

94.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.59 Ft 3,618

$10.77 ฿352

7.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 Ft 564

$2.61 ฿85.5

-30.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 Ft 602

$1.22 ฿39.88

58.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 Ft 632

$1.70 ฿55.7

18.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 Ft 942

$1.58 ฿51.5

91.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 Ft 354

$1.32 ฿43.14

-13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 Ft 393

$1.17 ฿38.23

7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 487

$0.67 ฿21.98

132.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Ft 163

$0.56 ฿18.32

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.68 Ft 2,086

$4.53 ฿148

47.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 Ft 1,611

$18.20 ฿595

-71.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 Ft 338

$1.83 ฿60.0

-40.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 Ft 444

$3.23 ฿106

-56.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 Ft 369

$0.89 ฿29.00

32.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.77 Ft 7,727

$19.38 ฿634

27.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 Ft 903

$1.35 ฿44.20

114.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 Ft 346

$1.35 ฿44.05

-17.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.31 Ft 5,401

$8.25 ฿270

109.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 Ft 551

$1.27 ฿41.64

39.37%

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

$26.0K Ft 8.1M

$21.2K ฿691.8K

22.82%

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

$31.4K Ft 9.8M

$22.5K ฿735.3K

39.78%

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

$143 Ft 44.7K

$70.2 ฿2,294

104.15%

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

$26.24 Ft 8,186

$13.77 ฿450

90.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.77 Ft 6,169

$17.60 ฿575

12.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.69 Ft 14.6K

$41.57 ฿1,360

12.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 Ft 5,298

$6.60 ฿216

157.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 Ft 2,250

$5.78 ฿189

24.74%

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

$289 Ft 90.2K

$306 ฿10.0K

-5.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,852 Ft 2.1M

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-53.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 Ft 22.5K

$54.4 ฿1,778

32.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.08 Ft 8,448

$26.14 ฿855

3.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 Ft 23.6K

$84.5 ฿2,764

-10.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 Ft 26.5K

$69.4 ฿2,270

22.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 Ft 133.1K

$424 ฿13.9K

0.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 Ft 109.5K

$238 ฿7,788

47.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$792 Ft 247.0K

$825 ฿27.0K

-4.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 Ft 224.4K

$515 ฿16.8K

39.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,076 Ft 959.9K

$2,049 ฿67.0K

50.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,442 Ft 761.8K

$1,523 ฿49.8K

60.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,499 Ft 467.8K

$635 ฿20.8K

136.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.4

48.00%

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

Last update for Vac: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $426 in Vac versus $424 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.

Salaries run about 136% higher in Vac, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Vac versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $217 in Vac vs $243 in Chiang Mai – so Vac wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Vac costs about 33% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,704 per month in Vac and $1,278 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.

Kindergarten costs $289 per month in Vac and $306 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Vac – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $852, than in Vac at $1,136. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vac it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $1,136 in Vac. 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, Vac makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.