Chiang Mai at a glance
- Chiang Mai ranks 2nd of 6 priced cities in Thailand on cost: $565 a month in essentials, 44% above Chiang Rai, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $589 covers that 1.0×.
- 102.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at district level.
- PM2.5 averages 19.8 µg/m³ a year, 4× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 6 Thailand cities we track, so every row says whether Chiang Mai is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $565 | $680 | $116 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $277 | $340 | $62 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $466 | $552 | $86 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $91 | $94 | $2 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $60 | $92 | 1.53× as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $83 | $106 | 1.27× as much |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $54 | $22 | 2.40× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $589 | $542 | $47 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $515 | $744 | 1.44× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $882 | $1,388 | 1.57× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Chiang Mai, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $2.08 | $3.27 | 1.57× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $19.35 | $28.65 | 1.48× as much |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $5.73 | $7.14 | $1.41 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.71 | $1.98 | $0.27 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.38 | $2.34 | $0.04 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.72 | $3.57 | $0.15 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.73 | $0.72 | $0.01 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.31 | $0.31 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.82 | $1.82 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.59 | $1.52 | $0.07 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.29 | $1.33 | $0.04 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.09 | $2.11 | $0.02 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $15.31 | $15.37 | $0.05 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $2.77 | $2.77 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.40 | $3.18 | 1.32× as much |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.06 | $1.18 | $0.11 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.47 | $1.77 | $0.30 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.22 | $1.27 | $0.05 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.06 | $1.06 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.46 | $0.46 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.89 | $0.85 | $0.04 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $53.58 | $22.88 | 2.34× as much |
| Taxi start | $1.19 | $1.23 | $0.04 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.55 | $1.07 | 1.95× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.36 | $1.39 | $0.03 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $64.79 | $87.03 | 1.34× as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $17.92 | $17.87 | $0.05 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $13.07 | $13.07 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $39.02 | $46.88 | $7.86 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $6.55 | $7.00 | $0.45 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Chiang Mai has 102.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (district level). That is the highest of the 7 Thailand cities we track. Thailand's national figure is 102.5 — about even.
Every Thailand region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Chiang Mai ranks against every city we track
Chiang Mai sits ahead of 83% of the 542 cities we track on cost of living. On safety it is ahead of 83% of 562. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 17% of 898.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Chiang Mai sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Nawit science, CC BY-SA 4.0.
