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 $1,329 per month in Vac vs $932 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,280 per month in Vac vs $1,399 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,232 per month in Vac vs $1,866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Vac costs about 43% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Vac and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Vac 3% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.40 Ft 6,171

$2.08 ฿69.5

832.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 Ft 36.6K

$19.61 ฿655

486.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 Ft 3,086

$5.67 ฿189

71.08%

Cappuccino

$2.39 Ft 760

$1.81 ฿60.3

32.04%

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

$1.58 Ft 503

$0.77 ฿25.65

105.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 Ft 419

$0.35 ฿11.53

277.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 Ft 711

$2.21 ฿73.9

1.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 Ft 758

$3.79 ฿127

-37.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 Ft 414

$2.05 ฿68.4

-36.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 Ft 469

$1.51 ฿50.6

-2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 Ft 740

$1.40 ฿46.69

65.71%

Eggs

$3.28 Ft 1,044

$2.26 ฿75.4

45.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.52 Ft 2,709

$16.19 ฿540

-47.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 Ft 1,940

$2.90 ฿96.7

110.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.85 Ft 5,359

$9.42 ฿314

78.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 Ft 607

$2.68 ฿89.4

-28.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 Ft 688

$1.09 ฿36.37

98.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 672

$1.62 ฿54.0

30.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 762

$1.46 ฿48.74

64.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 Ft 530

$1.28 ฿42.65

30.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 Ft 373

$1.06 ฿35.31

10.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 Ft 433

$0.72 ฿23.94

88.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Ft 164

$0.53 ฿17.56

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 Ft 2,479

$4.23 ฿141

84.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 Ft 1,617

$18.29 ฿611

-72.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 Ft 273

$1.63 ฿54.4

-47.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 Ft 727

$2.90 ฿96.8

-21.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 Ft 444

$0.88 ฿29.32

57.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.20 Ft 9,608

$53.8 ฿1,795

-43.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 Ft 954

$1.17 ฿39.14

156.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 Ft 512

$0.58 ฿19.30

177.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.80 Ft 5,345

$2.39 ฿79.6

602.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 Ft 586

$1.45 ฿48.41

26.90%

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

$28.9K Ft 9.2M

$21.0K ฿701.4K

37.37%

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

$40.5K Ft 12.9M

$26.4K ฿882.0K

53.34%

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

$157 Ft 49.9K

$63.7 ฿2,125

146.63%

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

$25.87 Ft 8,230

$12.89 ฿430

100.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.02 Ft 7,006

$20.52 ฿685

7.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.73 Ft 15.8K

$39.02 ฿1,302

27.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.35 Ft 5,518

$3.92 ฿131

342.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.45 Ft 2,688

$6.58 ฿220

28.42%

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

$309 Ft 98.2K

$784 ฿26.2K

-60.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,805 Ft 2.2M

$14.7K ฿489.8K

-53.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 Ft 28.8K

$55.1 ฿1,840

64.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 Ft 10.3K

$24.74 ฿826

30.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 Ft 26.7K

$94.1 ฿3,142

-10.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 Ft 34.7K

$74.0 ฿2,469

47.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$528 Ft 168.1K

$490 ฿16.4K

7.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$408 Ft 129.7K

$288 ฿9,620

41.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 Ft 275.5K

$891 ฿29.8K

-2.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$784 Ft 249.3K

$521 ฿17.4K

50.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,145 Ft 1.0M

$1,974 ฿65.9K

59.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,657 Ft 845.4K

$1,444 ฿48.2K

83.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,438 Ft 457.4K

$602 ฿20.1K

139.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.57

19.75%

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

Last update for Vac: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $528 in Vac versus $490 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 139% 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 $115 in Vac versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Vac vs $241 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 43% 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 $1,993 per month in Vac and $1,398 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 $309 per month in Vac and $784 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 1% 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 $932, than in Vac at $1,329. 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 $932 versus $1,329 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.