Phuket vs Chiang Mai Cost of Living
Phuket (Thailand) · Overall index 32.5 — Chiang Mai (Thailand) · Overall index 26.0
Summary
- Overall, Chiang Mai is 20% cheaper than Phuket.
- Rent in Chiang Mai is 36% cheaper than in Phuket.
- Telecom in Chiang Mai is 21% cheaper than in Phuket.
| Item | Phuket | Chiang Mai | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -36% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $689 | $477 | -31% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $492 | $325 | -34% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,330 | $805 | -39% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $899 | $542 | -40% |
| Groceries | -16% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.58 | $0.53 | -9% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.65 | $1.44 | -13% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.02 | $1.68 | -17% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.3 | $1.78 | -23% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $6.26 | $4.79 | -23% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $5.51 | $4.84 | -12% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $7.39 | $6.72 | -9% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.46 | $2.14 | -13% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.91 | $0.79 | -13% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $1.86 | $1.82 | -2% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.7 | $2.21 | -18% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.43 | $1.07 | -25% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.18 | $0.94 | -20% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.28 | $0.93 | -27% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $0.96 | $0.87 | -9% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $6.68 | $5.67 | -15% |
| Transport | -18% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $0.93 | $0.71 | -24% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $46.4 | $38.2 | -18% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.56 | $1.11 | -29% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.72 | $0.56 | -22% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.31 | $0.29 | -6% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $9,364 | $8,510 | -9% |
| Dining out | -15% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $9.34 | $6.98 | -25% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $46.2 | $40 | -13% |
| Fast food combo meal | $4.17 | $3.87 | -7% |
| Cappuccino | $1.93 | $1.62 | -16% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.96 | $0.9 | -6% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.62 | $2.41 | -8% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.44 | $2.63 | -24% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.77 | $0.64 | -17% |
| Telecom | -21% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $29.1 | $24.9 | -14% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $35.6 | $26.6 | -25% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.18 | $0.15 | -17% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $8.25 | $6.1 | -26% |
| Utilities & household | -16% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $77.3 | $67.6 | -13% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.1 | $0.08 | -20% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.31 | $1.58 | -32% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.64 | $0.56 | -12% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $9.32 | $8.03 | -14% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $34 | $32.5 | -4% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $7.16 | $6.4 | -11% |
| Men's haircut | $12.8 | $10.6 | -17% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $11.9 | $9.66 | -19% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $925 | $810 | -12% |
3,342 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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