Bangkok vs Chiang Mai Cost of Living
Bangkok (Thailand) · Overall index 36.1 — Chiang Mai (Thailand) · Overall index 26.0
Summary
- Overall, Chiang Mai is 28% cheaper than Bangkok.
- Rent in Chiang Mai is 46% cheaper than in Bangkok.
- Telecom in Chiang Mai is 26% cheaper than in Bangkok.
| Item | Bangkok | Chiang Mai | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -46% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $785 | $477 | -39% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $630 | $325 | -48% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,512 | $805 | -47% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,069 | $542 | -49% |
| Groceries | -25% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.61 | $0.53 | -13% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.14 | $1.44 | -33% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.56 | $1.68 | -34% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.53 | $1.78 | -30% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $6.93 | $4.79 | -31% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.15 | $4.84 | -21% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $10.3 | $6.72 | -35% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.84 | $2.14 | -25% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.93 | $0.79 | -15% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.4 | $1.82 | -24% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.38 | $2.21 | -7% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.38 | $1.07 | -22% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.39 | $0.94 | -32% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.2 | $0.93 | -22% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.22 | $0.87 | -29% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $7.66 | $5.67 | -26% |
| Transport | -24% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.01 | $0.71 | -30% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $44.6 | $38.2 | -14% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.59 | $1.11 | -30% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.81 | $0.56 | -31% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.37 | $0.29 | -22% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $10,133 | $8,510 | -16% |
| Dining out | -23% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.84 | $6.98 | -21% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $47.5 | $40 | -16% |
| Fast food combo meal | $5.21 | $3.87 | -26% |
| Cappuccino | $2.15 | $1.62 | -25% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.11 | $0.9 | -19% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $3.3 | $2.41 | -27% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.74 | $2.63 | -30% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.78 | $0.64 | -18% |
| Telecom | -26% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $33.4 | $24.9 | -25% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $37.1 | $26.6 | -28% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.19 | $0.15 | -21% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $8.29 | $6.1 | -26% |
| Utilities & household | -21% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $81.5 | $67.6 | -17% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.09 | $0.08 | -11% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.32 | $1.58 | -32% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.67 | $0.56 | -16% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $10.8 | $8.03 | -26% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $37.2 | $32.5 | -13% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $7.95 | $6.4 | -19% |
| Men's haircut | $15.5 | $10.6 | -32% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $12.7 | $9.66 | -24% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $991 | $810 | -18% |
3,386 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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