Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wonju and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,549 in Wonju, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Wonju
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Wonju Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Wonju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,549

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,549 per month in Wonju vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Wonju $1,549
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,516 per month in Wonju vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Wonju $2,516
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Wonju vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Wonju $3,483
Chiang Mai $1,999

Wonju costs about 66% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Wonju sits 15% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.44 ₩9,980

$2.13 ฿71.7

249.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.11 ₩64.5K

$18.62 ฿625

158.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.72 ₩9,004

$5.60 ฿188

20.00%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,938

$1.66 ฿55.9

121.69%

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

$1.86 ₩2,488

$0.65 ฿21.73

186.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ₩1,876

$0.30 ฿10.24

366.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ₩5,048

$2.32 ฿78.0

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 ₩5,763

$3.67 ฿123

17.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ₩2,980

$2.02 ฿67.7

9.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₩4,272

$1.41 ฿47.29

126.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 ₩4,090

$1.39 ฿46.75

119.42%

Eggs

$2.63 ₩3,530

$2.37 ฿79.5

10.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 ₩14.7K

$16.52 ฿555

-33.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 ₩13.9K

$2.67 ฿89.7

287.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.64 ₩33.0K

$9.02 ฿303

173.17%

Apples (1kg)

$11.24 ₩15.1K

$2.40 ฿80.6

368.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.58 ₩4,803

$1.04 ฿34.98

244.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.84 ₩10.5K

$1.66 ฿55.7

372.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.08 ₩8,155

$1.56 ฿52.4

289.74%

Potato (1kg)

$5.80 ₩7,776

$1.24 ฿41.57

367.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₩4,353

$1.09 ฿36.50

198.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 ₩3,680

$0.76 ฿25.59

261.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₩1,700

$0.51 ฿17.27

149.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ₩4,383

$4.12 ฿138

-20.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.24 ₩24.5K

$17.93 ฿602

1.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₩3,267

$1.62 ฿54.5

50.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₩4,868

$2.82 ฿94.8

28.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ₩1,306

$0.93 ฿31.39

4.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,755

$1.18 ฿39.52

200.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩854

$0.17 ฿5.76

276.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.85 ₩19.9K

$1.81 ฿60.9

720.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₩1,575

$1.47 ฿49.47

-19.73%

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

$38.6K ₩51.8M

$21.0K ฿705.8K

83.79%

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

$33.3K ₩44.6M

$26.5K ฿890.7K

25.57%

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

$202 ₩271.0K

$62.6 ฿2,101

223.21%

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

$36.46 ₩48.9K

$11.60 ฿390

214.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.33 ₩36.6K

$20.30 ฿682

34.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 ₩70.2K

$37.88 ฿1,272

38.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₩16.0K

$3.70 ฿124

221.62%

Cinema Ticket

$12.10 ₩16.2K

$6.51 ฿219

85.87%

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

$477 ₩639.6K

$727 ฿24.4K

-34.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩29.3M

$16.6K ฿556.7K

31.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.2K

$53.5 ฿1,798

93.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 ₩86.7K

$24.80 ฿833

160.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ₩122.6K

$90.4 ฿3,036

1.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ₩171.1K

$72.0 ฿2,418

77.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 ₩679.9K

$481 ฿16.2K

5.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 ₩504.7K

$310 ฿10.4K

21.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 ₩1.7M

$1,058 ฿35.5K

17.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$916 ₩1.2M

$659 ฿22.1K

39.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,883 ₩9.2M

$2,418 ฿81.2K

184.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,178 ₩8.3M

$1,609 ฿54.0K

284.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.57

-24.24%

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

Last update for Wonju: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Wonju

$481 31%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 50.8% $244

Accommodation & Living

Wonju

$377 24.3%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 17.7% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wonju

$266 17.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 64.5% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Wonju

$174 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 37.9% $66

Eating Out

Wonju

$164 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 53.4% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Wonju

$77 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 33.5% $26

Getting Around

Wonju

$11 * 0.7%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 452% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $507 in Wonju 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 $48 in Wonju versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $481 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Wonju

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:47 3:47 PM

13:47 1:47 PM

2 h behind Wonju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,196

127,240

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,509 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Wonju Chiang Mai 3,490 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Wonju
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

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

Wonju costs about 66% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $2,324 per month in Wonju and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $507 in Wonju and $481 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Wonju and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 103% more in Wonju, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,549 in Wonju and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,549 in Wonju. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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