Thailand
A laid-back northern Thai city surrounded by mountains, famous for temple-hopping, night markets, and a massive digital nomad community drawn by low costs and great coffee.
#160 of 250
39% below average
Monthly cost, one adult
$ 889
Based on NYC = 100 index
Total does not include Basic Grocery Basket — no scraped prices there (N/A)
Chiang Mai is the 160. most expensive of the 250 cities we track — a month here comes to $ 889 for one adult.
Cheaper here than almost anywhere else is housing, 57% below the median: 1br apartment (city-wide) $ 447, 3br apartment (city-wide) $ 715. You also get off lightly on healthcare, restaurants.
Percentages compare this city against the median of all tracked cities, category by category.
5 prices on this page come from live scrapers (4 sources, observed October 13, 2026 to October 13, 2026). They are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit CostCompass and link this page.
CostCompass (2026). Cost of living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Data as of 2026-10-14. https://costcompass.net/living/cities/chiang-mai. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
| Item | Price (USD) | Observations | Last observed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (city-wide) | 446.81 / month | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Asian property portals (per-listing) |
| 3BR Apartment (city-wide) | 714.90 / month | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Asian property portals (per-listing) |
| Meal at Mid-range Restaurant (2 people) | 25.02 / meal | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Local Restaurant Menus |
| Gasoline (1 liter) | 1.26 / liter | 1 | 2026-10-13 | National fuel price sources |
| Running Shoes (Nike, Adidas) | 80.13 / pair | 1 | 2026-10-13 | Asia-Pacific & ME Local Fashion Stores |
Cities where the money splits the same way
Japan
Similar share of Housing & Restaurants · compared on 7 of 8 categories
Japan
Similar share of Housing & Restaurants · compared on 7 of 8 categories
Colombia
Similar share of Restaurants & Transportation · compared on 7 of 8 categories
Thailand
Similar share of Restaurants & Entertainment · compared on 7 of 8 categories
Monthly average costs by category
$ 447
per month
N/A
$ 142
per month
$ 42
per month
$ 131
per month
$ 100
per month
$ 9
per month
$ 18
per month