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Chiang Mai vs Hoi An cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐น๐ญ Chiang Mai
๐ป๐ณ Hoi An
At a glance
- Where Hoi An is clearly cheaper: Beer (56%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (48%โ), Restaurant dinner (37%โ)
- Where Chiang Mai is clearly cheaper: Massage (34%โ), Transit (20%โ), Laundry (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Chiang Mai is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Chiang Mai 3 vs Hoi An 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Chiang Mai | Hoi An | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เธฟ 80$2.42 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Hoi An โ22% |
| Street food1 item | เธฟ 50$1.52 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Hoi An โ25% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เธฟ 400$12.1 | โซ 200,000$7.6 | Hoi An โ37% |
| Coffeeone cup | เธฟ 75$2.27 | โซ 55,000$2.09 | Hoi An โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | เธฟ 85$2.58 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Hoi An โ56% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เธฟ 180$5.45 | โซ 100,000$3.8 | Hoi An โ30% |
| Bottled water | เธฟ 10$0.3 | โซ 7,000$0.27 | Hoi An โ12% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เธฟ 20$0.61 | โซ 15,000$0.57 | Hoi An โ6% |
| Taxi5 km in town | เธฟ 100$3.03 | โซ 75,000$2.85 | Hoi An โ6% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เธฟ 60$1.82 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hoi An โ48% |
| Transitone ride | เธฟ 30$0.91 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Chiang Mai โ20% |
| Scooter rentalper day | เธฟ 250$7.58 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Hoi An โ25% |
| Hotel night3-star | เธฟ 1,100$33.3 | โซ 900,000$34.2 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | เธฟ 10,500$318 | โซ 8,000,000$304 | similar |
| Laundry | เธฟ 35$1.06 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Chiang Mai โ20% |
| SIM card1 week data | เธฟ 299$9.06 | โซ 180,000$6.84 | Hoi An โ24% |
| Haircutcut | เธฟ 150$4.55 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Hoi An โ33% |
| Massage1 hour | เธฟ 250$7.58 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Chiang Mai โ34% |
| Half-day tourper person | เธฟ 800$24.2 | โซ 450,000$17.1 | Hoi An โ29% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เธฟ 145$4.39 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | similar |
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%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Chiang Mai or Hoi An?
Hoi An is 6% cheaper than Chiang Mai. Daily budget $66.9 vs $60; a month $1,232 vs $1,207.
Which is easier to travel, Chiang Mai or Hoi An?
Chiang Mai is easier: Chiang Mai 2.4/5 vs Hoi An 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Chiang Mai and Hoi An?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Chiang Mai is about $1,232 and Hoi An about $1,207 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
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.