Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vinh Yen and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Vinh Yen: $785 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

37

Cost of Living Index in Vinh Yen
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Vinh Yen Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Vinh Yen

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$785

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $785 per month in Vinh Yen vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Vinh Yen $785
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,201 per month in Vinh Yen vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Vinh Yen $1,201
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,618 per month in Vinh Yen vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Vinh Yen $1,618
Chiang Mai $1,999

Vinh Yen is about 16% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vinh Yen and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Vinh Yen 42% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.97 ₫50.7K

$2.13 ฿71.8

-7.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.01 ₫541.1K

$18.62 ฿626

12.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.31 ₫110.9K

$5.60 ฿188

-23.04%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ₫43.5K

$1.66 ฿55.9

1.81%

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

$0.55 ₫14.2K

$0.65 ฿21.75

-15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₫7,868

$0.30 ฿10.25

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.84 ₫21.7K

$2.32 ฿78.1

-63.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ₫36.0K

$3.67 ฿123

-61.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₫37.5K

$2.02 ฿67.8

-27.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.41 ฿47.34

-21.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 ₫18.5K

$1.39 ฿46.79

-48.20%

Eggs

$1.54 ₫39.6K

$2.37 ฿79.6

-35.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.80 ₫329.7K

$16.52 ฿555

-22.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ₫84.9K

$2.67 ฿89.8

23.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.16 ₫261.8K

$9.02 ฿303

12.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 ₫65.1K

$2.40 ฿80.6

5.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.8K

$1.04 ฿35.01

-3.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.4K

$1.66 ฿55.8

-24.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.5K

$1.56 ฿52.4

-26.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.7K

$1.24 ฿41.61

-19.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ₫34.1K

$1.09 ฿36.53

21.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ₫16.2K

$0.76 ฿25.61

-17.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.2K

$0.51 ฿17.29

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.4K

$4.12 ฿139

-70.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 ₫174.2K

$17.93 ฿603

-62.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₫20.4K

$1.62 ฿54.6

-51.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₫40.6K

$2.82 ฿94.9

-43.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ₫8,583

$0.93 ฿31.42

-64.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.13 ₫183.6K

$52.9 ฿1,778

-86.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 ₫22.2K

$1.18 ฿39.56

-27.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₫15.5K

$0.17 ฿5.76

252.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 ₫56.7K

$1.81 ฿60.9

21.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 ₫25.8K

$1.47 ฿49.51

-31.97%

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

$32.0K ₫823.6M

$21.0K ฿706.4K

52.15%

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

$26.0K ₫670.7M

$26.5K ฿891.4K

-1.82%

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

$86.6 ₫2.2M

$62.6 ฿2,103

38.48%

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

$5.40 ₫139.1K

$11.60 ฿390

-53.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.44 ₫243.3K

$20.30 ฿683

-53.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.96 ₫591.4K

$37.88 ฿1,274

-39.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.74 ₫199.5K

$3.70 ฿124

109.19%

Cinema Ticket

$2.65 ₫68.1K

$6.51 ฿219

-59.29%

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

$364 ₫9.4M

$727 ฿24.4K

-49.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K ₫399.2M

$16.6K ฿557.2K

-6.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.27 ₫960.1K

$53.5 ฿1,800

-30.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.38 ₫628.0K

$24.80 ฿834

-1.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$90.4 ฿3,039

1.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.1 ₫1.7M

$72.0 ฿2,420

-9.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$389 ₫10.0M

$481 ฿16.2K

-19.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 ₫7.7M

$310 ฿10.4K

-3.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 ₫19.1M

$1,058 ฿35.6K

-30.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 ₫14.2M

$659 ฿22.1K

-16.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,290 ₫59.0M

$2,418 ฿81.3K

-5.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,390 ₫35.8M

$1,609 ฿54.1K

-13.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.17

5.57

46.68%

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

Last update for Vinh Yen: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vinh Yen

$300 38.3%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 3.3% $9.8

Groceries & Markets

Vinh Yen

$185 23.6%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 28% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vinh Yen

$101 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 6.9% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Vinh Yen

$98 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 10.4% $10

Eating Out

Vinh Yen

$59 7.6%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 29% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Vinh Yen

$28 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 80.2% $23

Getting Around

Vinh Yen

$12 1.6%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 376% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $389 in Vinh Yen versus $481 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 $21 in Vinh Yen versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Vinh Yen vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Vinh Yen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Vinh Yen

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:47 11:47 PM

Same time as Vinh Yen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,858

127,240

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,880 VND (100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vinh Yen Chiang Mai 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Vinh Yen
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

Vinh Yen vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Vinh Yen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,177 per month in Vinh Yen and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vinh Yen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $389 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $364 per month in Vinh Yen and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Vinh Yen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.