It’s no secret that Chiang Mai is widely credited as being one of the most liveable –and lovable- destinations in the whole of Asia if not the world. For a taste of the city’s myriad of virtues, be sure to read our teaser article Starting a New Life in Chiang Ma in 2022. Foremost, though, among the jewels in Chiang Mai’s crown is in its affordability.

Indeed even within Thailand, your purchasing power here is generally twice that in the nation’s capital, Bangkok. The low cost –and often extraordinary value- of routine necessities (most notably housing, utilities, food, healthcare, transportation and fuel) allows anyone from bootstrapping Digital Nomads on a shoestring budget to retirees with a fat pension to enjoy the trappings of a comfortable, if not lavish, lifestyle for a fraction of that in a developed country. Testimony, in fact, to the economic magnetism of Chiang Mai is the almost obsessive preoccupation among tourists and expats alike while living in the city to proudly broadcast breakdowns of their personal expenses online! Here is our guide to the cost of living in Chiang Mai. We hope it helps you plan your new life here in this great city of Northern Thailand.