Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Chiang Mai is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.6). Biggest gap: language โ Chiang Mai 3 vs Coron 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Chiang Mai | Coron | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เธฟ 80$2.42 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Chiang Mai โ8% |
| Street food1 item | เธฟ 50$1.52 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Coron โ31% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เธฟ 400$12.1 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Coron โ28% |
| Coffeeone cup | เธฟ 75$2.27 | โฑ 140$2.46 | Chiang Mai โ7% |
| Beerone bottle | เธฟ 85$2.58 | โฑ 100$1.75 | Coron โ32% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เธฟ 180$5.45 | โฑ 250$4.39 | Coron โ20% |
| Bottled water | เธฟ 10$0.3 | โฑ 20$0.35 | Chiang Mai โ14% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เธฟ 20$0.61 | โฑ 35$0.61 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | เธฟ 100$3.03 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Coron โ13% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เธฟ 60$1.82 | โฑ 25$0.44 | Coron โ76% |
| Transitone ride | เธฟ 30$0.91 | โฑ 20$0.35 | Coron โ61% |
| Scooter rentalper day | เธฟ 250$7.58 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Chiang Mai โ14% |
| Hotel night3-star | เธฟ 1,100$33.3 | โฑ 2,800$49.1 | Chiang Mai โ32% |
| Studio rent (month) | เธฟ 10,500$318 | โฑ 15,000$263 | Coron โ17% |
| Laundry | เธฟ 35$1.06 | โฑ 50$0.88 | Coron โ17% |
| SIM card1 week data | เธฟ 299$9.06 | โฑ 200$3.51 | Coron โ61% |
| Haircutcut | เธฟ 150$4.55 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Coron โ42% |
| Massage1 hour | เธฟ 250$7.58 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Chiang Mai โ14% |
| Half-day tourper person | เธฟ 800$24.2 | โฑ 1,500$26.3 | Chiang Mai โ8% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เธฟ 145$4.39 | โฑ 300$5.26 | Chiang Mai โ17% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Chiang Mai is 5% cheaper than Coron. Daily budget $66.9 vs $78.6; a month $1,232 vs $1,151.
Chiang Mai is easier: Chiang Mai 2.4/5 vs Coron 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Chiang Mai is about $1,232 and Coron about $1,151 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.