Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yangon (Rangoon) and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Yangon (Rangoon): $768 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Yangon (Rangoon)
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Yangon (Rangoon) Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Yangon (Rangoon)

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$768

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $768 per month in Yangon (Rangoon) vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yangon (Rangoon) $768
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,291 per month in Yangon (Rangoon) vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yangon (Rangoon) $1,291
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,814 per month in Yangon (Rangoon) vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Yangon (Rangoon) $1,814
Chiang Mai $1,914

Yangon (Rangoon) is about 18% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Yangon (Rangoon) and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Yangon (Rangoon) 43% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.53 MMK 5,292

$2.26 ฿75.4

11.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.55 MMK 34.6K

$19.18 ฿641

-13.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.92 MMK 6,119

$5.59 ฿187

-47.76%

Cappuccino

$1.67 MMK 3,495

$1.72 ฿57.6

-2.91%

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

$0.70 MMK 1,472

$0.64 ฿21.54

9.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 MMK 1,284

$0.33 ฿11.18

84.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 MMK 2,137

$2.36 ฿78.7

-56.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 MMK 4,307

$3.90 ฿130

-47.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MMK 3,513

$2.05 ฿68.6

-18.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 MMK 2,377

$1.40 ฿46.70

-18.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MMK 4,525

$1.28 ฿42.89

68.75%

Eggs

$1.83 MMK 3,828

$2.25 ฿75.3

-18.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.30 MMK 13.2K

$16.94 ฿566

-62.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.69 MMK 9,813

$2.74 ฿91.6

71.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.04 MMK 12.6K

$9.36 ฿313

-35.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 MMK 9,637

$2.40 ฿80.3

91.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 MMK 2,368

$1.01 ฿33.92

11.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 MMK 8,388

$1.61 ฿53.9

149.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 MMK 6,420

$1.52 ฿50.7

101.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 MMK 5,389

$1.28 ฿42.90

100.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 MMK 3,459

$1.11 ฿37.22

48.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 MMK 2,553

$0.72 ฿24.09

69.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 MMK 987

$0.52 ฿17.54

-9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.59 MMK 3,337

$4.33 ฿145

-63.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.98 MMK 18.8K

$17.73 ฿593

-49.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 MMK 1,855

$1.63 ฿54.4

-45.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MMK 2,526

$2.85 ฿95.3

-57.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 MMK 544

$0.85 ฿28.31

-69.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.85 MMK 24.8K

$53.9 ฿1,801

-78.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 MMK 2,151

$1.17 ฿39.18

-11.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 MMK 2,050

$0.57 ฿19.00

71.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 MMK 5,863

$2.37 ฿79.2

18.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$9.33 MMK 19.5K

$1.45 ฿48.32

543.45%

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

$29.6K MMK 62.1M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

44.78%

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

$46.8K MMK 98.0M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

76.56%

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

$50.2 MMK 105.2K

$62.3 ฿2,083

-19.41%

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

$7.49 MMK 15.7K

$12.27 ฿410

-38.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.63 MMK 39.0K

$19.97 ฿668

-6.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.34 MMK 40.5K

$37.91 ฿1,267

-48.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.03 MMK 23.1K

$3.76 ฿126

193.35%

Cinema Ticket

$2.54 MMK 5,311

$6.71 ฿224

-62.15%

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

$504 MMK 1.1M

$797 ฿26.6K

-36.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K MMK 35.8M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

15.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 MMK 190.4K

$53.3 ฿1,780

70.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 MMK 137.1K

$25.05 ฿837

161.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MMK 215.1K

$91.6 ฿3,062

12.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 MMK 266.9K

$73.5 ฿2,455

73.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 MMK 771.7K

$464 ฿15.5K

-20.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 MMK 416.2K

$305 ฿10.2K

-34.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 MMK 2.2M

$915 ฿30.6K

13.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 MMK 1.1M

$552 ฿18.5K

-1.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,173 MMK 4.6M

$1,912 ฿63.9K

13.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$927 MMK 1.9M

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-35.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$274 MMK 572.7K

$595 ฿19.9K

-54.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

115.44%

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

Last update for Yangon (Rangoon): October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yangon (Rangoon)

$212 27.6%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 12.2% $26

Accommodation & Living

Yangon (Rangoon)

$199 25.9%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 53.3% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Yangon (Rangoon)

$174 22.7%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 37.1% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yangon (Rangoon)

$76 9.9%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 23.9% $18

Eating Out

Yangon (Rangoon)

$64 8.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 24.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Yangon (Rangoon)

$24 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 110% $27

Getting Around

Yangon (Rangoon)

$19 2.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 226% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $369 in Yangon (Rangoon) versus $464 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 118% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $17.00 in Yangon (Rangoon) versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $238 – making Yangon (Rangoon) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇲 Yangon (Rangoon)

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

11:19 11:19 AM

30 min ahead of Yangon (Rangoon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,160,512

127,240

💱 Currency

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.25 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MMK – Myanmar Kyat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇲 Myanmar Kyat (K)

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,354 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.25 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MMK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Yangon (Rangoon) Chiang Mai 370 km

From you

Yangon (Rangoon)
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

Yangon (Rangoon) vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 22% more than Yangon (Rangoon), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,152 per month in Yangon (Rangoon) and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yangon (Rangoon), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $504 per month in Yangon (Rangoon) and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Yangon (Rangoon), where all-in costs run around $768, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Yangon (Rangoon) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Yangon (Rangoon) costs $768 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. 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 Yangon (Rangoon). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.