Cost of living in Chiang Mai Thailand 2012

Chiang Mai is one of the cheapest big cities to live in Thailand if not South East asia, it has a vibrant expat community of all different ages. You might be thinking that Chiang Mai is full of only teachers and older retirees but it could be further from the truth. Chiang Mai is home to many younger mostly guys 25-45 who come to live here because of the cheap and easy going lifestyle.

Below is a list of different prices in Chiang Mai. Inflation last year saw many prices increase especially for eggs and meat and while they have stabilized for the time being and even seen a decrease, most food outlets have kept the inflated prices. Where a year ago you could get most meals for 25 baht, now your paying 30-35 baht. Still very cheap compared to western standards though you may have to sacrifice on quality and cleanliness.

Feel free to comment on any of the prices below as well as any updates of what you’ve seen prices going up and down, as well please give me an update on your monthly budget for living in Chiang Mai.

It’s impossible to give an exact number for what you will spend when living or visiting Chiang Mai because everyone has different lifestyles. It all depends on how you live and how you want to spend your money. Some guys like to hit up the bars others prefer to stay at home, both have varying prices. Take this list as a guide only. Below are approximate numbers only just to give you an idea of what it will cost you to live in Chiang Mai. Remember that all prices are in Thai baht.

Here is my monthly budget for Chiang Mai – what you can expect to pay in Thai baht. Please see detailed information below.

Monthly Cost of Living in Chiang Mai Thailand

A note about my expenses, I go out a lot maybe 4-5 times a week and sometimes cheaply maybe 100 baht sometimes nothing at all and sometimes a lot. Entertaining girls going to the local soapy or using the services of a Sideline girl gets expensive. If you don’t go out at all then you can pretty much strike the whole line off your budget.

Apartments in Chiang Mai

**prices stated are in Thai Baht ฿ **

Variations in cost all depend on the location, size, and quality of the apartment whether it has air-conditioning or not. Apartments within the old city with air-con and behind/in front of Chiang mai university are typically more expensive. Those elsewhere are always cheaper. Nimmanheiman area is the most expensive place to live in Chiang Mai but also the most hip though 5 minutes away is a place called Jet Yord which has hundreds of cheap apartments for 3,000 baht a month including air and are spacious.

A room in a shared apartment: 6000฿ +

A shared apartment typically means two bedrooms can be more expensive than living in your own place if it has two bedrooms. This is because most Thai’s live in the one room in Chiang Mai

**Does not include Internet, phone, and utilities are all extra

Your own studio apartment, as a temporary furnished rental: 3000฿ + You might not feel comfortable in a cheap place something around 4500฿ + will be clean and secure.

**Does not include Internet, phone, and utilities are all extra

Your own one bedroom, as a temporary furnished rental: 5500฿ +

**Does not include Internet, phone, and utilities are all extra

Your own studio, renting long term 12 months + : 3000 ฿ +

**Does not include Internet, phone, and utilities are all extra

Your own one bedroom, renting long term 12 months plus: 4000฿ +

**Does not include Internet, phone, and utilities are all extra

Extras

**prices stated are in Thai Baht**

Internet: Internet speeds vary, if your in a condo complex Internet is usually WiFi and can be slow depending on the time of day and cost between 300฿ – 500฿ a month to use. Want your own line then the price can be 690฿ + phone line. 3BB has cable that doesn’t require you to have a phone line and is much faster and costs 690฿ a month.

Cable TV: 350฿ a month for WeTV which is about 60 channels that has 4 movie channels or for True which is satellite is 1600฿ a month has a lot of foreign shows and news channels.

Electricity: The going rate from the local co-op is 4.1 baht per 1000watt usage, though apartments and condos usually add a baht or more to the price as a way to generate more income, look carefully when looking for an apartment and ask them how much for 1000watt (call nooay in Thai). I’ve seen some places charge 8 baht per nooay which would cost you around 8 baht an hour to run a standard air-con.

Phone: Difficult for foreigners to get their own phone line and if your not using DSL then having a cell phone is much easier and cheaper.

New cell phone: 3000 ฿ + You can buy second hand phones for cheap at the local shopping mall

Cell phone monthly payments: Typically calls cost about 1 baht per minute. When getting a cell phone don’t just grab one off the shelf at 7 eleven. Go to the actual cell phone company like DTAC or 12CAll at the mall and ask the best rate for you. Get the wrong pre-paid plan and you could be paying 2 baht a minute!

Food

**prices stated are in Thai Baht ฿ **

Food will probably cost you about 5000฿ a month if you eat local side of the road or cheap Thai restaurant food. Foreign food is expensive and will add up quick.

If you live in Thailand and have an apartment there is a 95% chance you will never cook a meal the entire time your here. If you do it may be just a small BBQ or grill. Eating out is a way of life in Chiang Mai and you’ll find that most locals don’t know how to cook themselves.

Eating at a restaurant here is more expensive but cheap eats are Noodles 30 ฿ rice with meat 35 ฿. Food near or around local markets are inexpensive but can also cause you stomach problems. Try to get around and try as many places as you can, if you get an upset stomach don’t eat there again. Cheap eats are a abound in Chiang Mai I even found a place that serves steak fries and boiled vegetables for 45 ฿ !

Junk Food isn’t too expensive basic Big Mac meal costs 145 ฿ up size for 10 ฿. Price of KFC just went down but so did the portion sizes. Zinger Burger meal costs 89 ฿

Entertainment

**prices stated are in Thai Baht ฿ **

Prices are the usual costs. It can be higher or lower, depending on where you go.

Movie: 120 ฿ at central airport and 70 ฿ at Central Kad Suan Kaow though they only play English movies at the airport

1 large beer Leo or Chang at 7 eleven: 45 ฿

Entrance to clubs: Free for most places some do charge but not worth it, if they charge you to enter walk away and go somewhere else.

Bottle of beer in bar/club: 120 ฿

Highball or cocktail in bar/club: 150 ฿

Bottle of 100 Pipers 700ml at club: 400 ฿ +

Bottle of Johny Red label 700ml at club: 890 ฿ +

Mixers at a club: 20 ฿ + (coke water)

Ice at club: 50 ฿

Karaoke with hostess 3 hours: 1400 ฿ + Hostesses are 200 ฿ each per hour drink from your bottle

Soapy Massage: 1000 ฿ +

Traditional Thai Massage: 150฿ + per hour

Cheap restaurant:  30 ฿ +

Nice restaurant:  280 ฿ +

Transportation

**prices stated are in Thai Baht**

Baht Bus (Red pickup truck/Song Taow): standard 20 ฿ to most places in the city

Bus: There’s a bus?

Tuk Tuk: 60 ฿ during day to most places in the city 80 ฿ after 7 pm and 100฿ after 10pm

Train: Train only goes to other towns Chiang Mai isn’t that big!

Scooter Rental: You can hire a 120cc Honda Click for 2500 ฿ a month on a long term contract or 3000 ฿ a month short term and 120 ฿ a day. Manual’s are cheaper by about 20 ฿ a day. This is your best bet, make sure you get a Thai drivers license first.

Gas: 38 ฿ per litre

**prices stated are in Thai Baht ฿ **

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