Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yala and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Yala and in Chiang Mai: $912 and $936 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Yala
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Yala Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Yala

🇹🇭 Thailand

$912

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $912 per month in Yala vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yala $912
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,463 per month in Yala vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yala $1,463
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,014 per month in Yala vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yala $2,014
Chiang Mai $1,979

Yala is about 2% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Yala and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Yala 33% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.46 ฿49.33

$2.24 ฿75.7

-34.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.71 ฿834

$19.00 ฿642

30.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ฿253

$5.55 ฿188

34.95%

Cappuccino

$1.96 ฿66.0

$1.67 ฿56.6

17.37%

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

$0.53 ฿17.92

$0.64 ฿21.56

-17.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ฿5.89

$0.31 ฿10.32

-45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 ฿71.3

$2.36 ฿79.6

-10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$3.66 ฿124

-19.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ฿58.1

$1.95 ฿65.8

-11.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿47.13

$1.44 ฿48.51

-2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿44.25

$1.33 ฿45.07

-1.50%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿67.1

$2.28 ฿77.1

-12.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.83 ฿568

$16.45 ฿556

2.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.68 ฿90.5

$2.78 ฿94.0

-3.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.31 ฿348

$9.31 ฿314

10.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ฿97.3

$2.35 ฿79.5

22.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 ฿35.53

$0.97 ฿32.82

8.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿74.7

$1.60 ฿53.9

38.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 ฿65.6

$1.50 ฿50.7

29.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿51.3

$1.28 ฿43.15

18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.60

$1.10 ฿37.22

0.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ฿35.89

$0.71 ฿23.84

49.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.61

$0.49 ฿16.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 ฿145

$4.14 ฿140

3.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.83 ฿602

$17.52 ฿592

1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ฿56.9

$1.61 ฿54.5

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 ฿96.6

$2.78 ฿94.0

2.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 ฿19.61

$0.87 ฿29.33

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.13

$1.16 ฿39.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 ฿39.60

$0.53 ฿17.82

120.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 ฿200

$2.42 ฿81.8

144.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿47.48

$1.45 ฿48.93

-2.76%

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

$26.9K ฿909.4K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

27.87%

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

$26.8K ฿904.6K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-0.57%

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

$84.3 ฿2,847

$62.2 ฿2,100

35.63%

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

$12.13 ฿410

$12.17 ฿411

-0.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.84 ฿636

$20.12 ฿680

-6.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.71 ฿1,611

$37.31 ฿1,260

27.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.35 ฿451

$3.77 ฿127

254.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 ฿223

$6.49 ฿219

1.85%

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

$581 ฿19.6K

$736 ฿24.9K

-21.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K ฿366.8K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-26.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.99 ฿1,688

$53.4 ฿1,802

-6.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.59 ฿999

$24.64 ฿832

20.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ฿2,594

$91.5 ฿3,089

-16.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.3 ฿2,541

$71.9 ฿2,429

4.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.8K

$482 ฿16.3K

-9.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ฿10.1K

$309 ฿10.4K

-2.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 ฿38.2K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

12.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 ฿23.1K

$633 ฿21.4K

7.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,907 ฿64.4K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-19.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,461 ฿49.3K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-8.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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 Yala: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yala

$301 32.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 2.8% $8.4

Groceries & Markets

Yala

$245 26.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 4.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yala

$115 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 18.1% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Yala

$104 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 4.2% $4.4

Eating Out

Yala

$77 8.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 0.9% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Yala

$61 6.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 17.5% $11

Getting Around

Yala

$9.4 * 1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 556% $52

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $437 in Yala versus $482 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 $25 in Yala versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Yala

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

Same time as Yala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,617

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Yala Chiang Mai 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Yala
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Yala, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,369 per month in Yala 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 $437 in Yala and $482 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 $25 in Yala and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $912 in Yala and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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.