Chiang Mai is the cheapest big city in Thailand for a visitor: most travellers spend 800 to 3,000 baht a day ($24 to $90), and you can live well at the bottom of that range. A dorm in the Old City, a 50-baht bowl of khao soi, a 30-baht red-truck ride and free temples keep the floor low; what pushes the total up is the day tours, because a good elephant sanctuary or a guided trip to Doi Inthanon costs 1,500 to 3,500 baht on its own. Prices here are in Thai baht at roughly 33.5 baht to the US dollar and hold for 2026. For the national picture see our Thailand travel costs guide.
Chiang Mai daily budgets at a glance#
These per-person figures assume two people sharing a room; solo travellers in private rooms should add 20 to 30 percent.
| Budget | Per day (THB) | Per day (USD) | What it buys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | 800 to 1,200 | $24 to $36 | Dorm or fan guesthouse, market and stall food, songthaews and walking, free temples, a couple of beers |
| Mid-range | 1,800 to 3,000 | $55 to $90 | Air-con boutique room in the Old City or Nimman, sit-down Thai meals and cafes, Grab rides, a tour or class every other day |
| Comfortable | 5,000+ | $150+ | Riverside or Mae Rim resort, private driver for day trips, premium sanctuary programmes, spa treatments, cocktails |
On a typical mid-range day roughly half the money goes on the room, a quarter on tours and entry fees and the rest on food, transport and drinks. Backpackers who skip paid tours can stay under 1,000 baht a day for weeks.
Beds
Dorm 200 to 400 baht, air-con guesthouse 600 to 1,000, boutique hotel 1,500 to 3,500, riverside luxury from 8,000.
Food
Khao soi 50 to 80 baht, market plate 40 to 70, Thai restaurant main 120 to 250, Nimman brunch 250 to 450.
Transport
Red songthaew 30 to 50 baht in town, Grab 60 to 200, airport to Old City 150 to 250, scooter 200 to 300 a day.
Tours
Cooking class 900 to 1,800, elephant sanctuary 2,500 to 3,500, Doi Inthanon day tour 1,200 to 2,000.
Coffee
Local cafe latte 50 to 70 baht, specialty coffee in Nimman 80 to 150.
Extras
Thai massage 250 to 350 an hour, tourist SIM 299 for 8 days, ATM fee 220 per withdrawal.
Accommodation prices by area#
Rooms in Chiang Mai cost about two thirds of the Bangkok price for the same standard, and the city has an unusually deep middle market of small boutique hotels.
- Old City: the budget heartland. Dorm beds run 200 to 400 baht ($6 to $12), a family guesthouse with a fan 350 to 500 and with air-con 600 to 1,000. Boutique hotels with a small pool inside the moat cost 1,500 to 3,000; heritage places such as Tamarind Village sit higher.
- Nimman: newer and pricier. Design hotels and aparthotels charge 1,200 to 3,500 baht a night, and serviced studios are popular with longer stays.
- Night Bazaar and Tha Phae: mid-range chains and older hotels at 900 to 2,500 baht, convenient for markets and the river.
- Riverside: the top end in town. Small heritage hotels such as 137 Pillars House and resorts on the Ping start around 6,000 to 8,000 baht and climb past 15,000 in high season.
- Mae Rim and the hills: big resorts such as the Four Seasons in the Mae Rim valley start well above 15,000 baht.
Rates rise 20 to 40 percent from November to February and can triple over Yi Peng in November, when central rooms sell out months ahead. From May to October many hotels discount by a third. Our where to stay in Chiang Mai guide compares the areas in detail.
Food and drink prices#
Food is where Chiang Mai is hardest to beat. A bowl of khao soi, the curry noodle soup the city is known for, costs 50 to 80 baht ($1.50 to $2.40) at a shophouse such as Khao Soi Khun Yai near the north moat. Market plates of rice and curry are 40 to 70 baht, sai ua sausage about 100 baht for a coil, and the grilled chicken at SP Chicken around 150 to 200 baht for a whole bird to share. At the Sunday Walking Street on Ratchadamnoen Road and the Saturday market on Wualai Road snacks are 20 to 60 baht each, and a filling dinner of four or five of them comes to under 200.
Sit-down northern Thai restaurants such as Huen Phen charge 80 to 200 baht a dish, and a riverside dinner with drinks at The Good View or The Riverside runs 500 to 900 baht per person. Western food costs more: pizza, burgers and brunch in Nimman are 200 to 450 baht. Coffee is a local passion; a latte at a neighbourhood cafe is 50 to 70 baht and a specialty cup at Ristr8to 80 to 150.
A big bottle of Chang or Leo is 55 to 70 baht at a 7-Eleven and 90 to 150 in a bar; cocktails are 150 to 300 in Nimman and rarely more. Drinking water is 7 to 15 baht a bottle, and many guesthouses have free refill stations. The usual Thai alcohol rules apply: no shop sales between 2pm and 5pm or after midnight, and none on Buddhist holy days. More on dishes and where to find them in our Chiang Mai food guide.
Getting around: songthaew, Grab and scooter fares#
The Old City is a 1.6 km square, so many days need no transport at all. When you do ride:
- Red songthaew (rot daeng): shared red pick-ups that run like taxis on loose routes. Within the moat and nearby areas the usual fare is 30 baht per person, 40 to 50 to Nimman or the Night Bazaar from further out. Say your destination before you climb in; if the driver quotes 150 or more, he is offering a private charter.
- Grab and Bolt: reliable and fixed-price. Short hops cost 60 to 120 baht by car and less by motorbike taxi; Nimman to the Night Bazaar is around 100 to 150.
- Tuk-tuk: negotiate first; 80 to 200 baht for inner-city trips.
- Airport: Chiang Mai International Airport is only 4 km from the Old City. The official taxi desk charges about 150 to 250 baht, Grab is similar, and a songthaew is cheaper if you are not carrying much.
- Scooter: 200 to 300 baht a day for an automatic, less by the week, plus about 100 baht of fuel for a big day out. You need a motorcycle licence and an International Driving Permit for your insurance to pay out.
Getting up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is the one ride everyone takes. Shared red trucks leave from beside the zoo and Chiang Mai University on Huay Kaew Road once eight to ten passengers are aboard, at roughly 60 to 100 baht each way per person; chartering a whole truck costs 500 to 800 baht return with waiting time. Long-distance, the second-class sleeper train from Bangkok is 800 to 1,050 baht, VIP buses 600 to 900, and minibuses to Pai 200 to 300.
Tours and activities: what they really cost#
This is where your budget is decided. Prices below are per adult and usually include hotel pick-up.
| Activity | Price (THB) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Elephant Nature Park, half day | 2,500 | Official rate; full-day programmes 3,500, overnight 5,800 |
| Other no-riding sanctuaries, half or full day | 1,500 to 3,000 | Check for no riding and no bathing shows |
| Doi Inthanon group day tour | 1,200 to 2,000 | Usually includes the park fee, twin chedis and Wachirathan Falls |
| Doi Inthanon by private car | 2,500 to 3,500 per car | Plus entry fees; split between up to four |
| Cooking class, half day | 900 to 1,200 | Market visit plus four or five dishes |
| Cooking class, full day on a farm | 1,200 to 1,800 | Out of town, includes transport |
| Muay Thai night at a stadium | 600 to 1,500 | Ringside seats at the top end |
| Zipline (Flight of the Gibbon type) | 2,500 to 4,000 | Includes transfers and lunch |
| Khantoke dinner and dance show | 500 to 900 | Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center is the classic |
Doi Inthanon’s park fee is 300 baht for foreigners (150 for children), and the twin royal chedis near the summit charge a separate 100 baht; check both at the gate, as park fees have changed several times. If you drive yourself, add a small vehicle fee. The Elephant Nature Park rates come from its official site, which is the only place to book that guarantees you the genuine programme.
Cooking classes are the best-value activity in the city: you eat what you cook, so a 1,000-baht morning class doubles as lunch. Muay Thai fights run most nights at the stadiums near Loi Kroh Road and the Night Bazaar; touts sell the same tickets, so you can buy at the door.
Book sanctuaries and cooking classes direct, by email or on their own website. Street agencies in the Old City add a commission and sometimes swap you onto a cheaper operator that still offers rides or bathing.
Temples, museums and other entry fees#
Sightseeing is cheap. Most Old City temples are free or ask foreigners for 20 to 50 baht: Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang charge small fees, Wat Sri Suphan 50 baht, and Wat Chiang Man nothing. Doi Suthep temple is 30 baht, with the tram up from the car park a little extra. Since October 2025 Doi Suthep-Pui National Park charges foreigners 100 baht for its trails and waterfalls, including the Monk’s Trail to Wat Pha Lat, Huay Kaew Waterfall and Doi Pui, while the temples reached by the main road stay free of park fees. Museums such as the Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre charge under 200 baht. Our temples guide has every fee and opening time.
Massage, SIM cards, laundry and other extras#
- Thai massage: 250 to 350 baht an hour at the Old City shops, 500 to 1,200 in a spa. The Lila and prison-rehabilitation massage centres employ former inmates and charge standard rates.
- SIM card: AIS, True and dtac tourist SIMs cost about 299 baht for 8 days or 599 for 15 to 30 days at the airport; top-ups at 7-Eleven.
- Laundry: 30 to 50 baht a kilo, back the same evening.
- Tipping: not expected at stalls; round up or leave 20 to 50 baht in restaurants, 50 to 100 for a good massage and 100 to 200 per person for a tour guide.
Cash, cards and ATMs#
Chiang Mai is still a cash city outside hotels, malls and Nimman. Markets, songthaews, small restaurants and temples take cash only, though Thai QR payment is spreading. Every foreign card withdrawal at a Thai ATM costs 220 baht, so take out the maximum each time (usually 20,000 to 30,000 baht) and decline the machine’s conversion offer. Exchange booths along Tha Phae Road and at the Night Bazaar give better rates than the airport if you bring cash. Cards work at Maya and One Nimman malls, mid-range hotels and the bigger tour companies, sometimes with a 3 percent surcharge.
Living in Chiang Mai: monthly costs for long stays#
Chiang Mai is one of the cheapest bases in Asia for a month or more. A studio condo with a pool costs 8,000 to 15,000 baht a month ($240 to $450) on a monthly contract, a one-bedroom in Nimman 15,000 to 25,000, plus electricity at roughly 5 to 8 baht a unit, which matters if you run the air-con in April. Coworking passes are 2,000 to 4,000 baht a month and fibre internet comes with most condos. Eating out every meal at local places runs 6,000 to 10,000 baht a month. All in, a single person lives comfortably on 30,000 to 50,000 baht ($900 to $1,500). Our Chiang Mai digital nomads guide covers neighbourhoods, coworking and visas.
Sample trip totals#
Per person, sharing a room, excluding flights to Chiang Mai.
| Trip | Backpacker | Mid-range | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days (Old City temples, Doi Suthep, a cooking class, Sunday market) | 3,500 baht ($105) | 7,500 baht ($225) | 18,000 baht ($540) |
| 7 days (adds an elephant sanctuary, Doi Inthanon, Muay Thai, a day on a scooter) | 9,000 baht ($270) | 19,000 baht ($570) | 45,000 baht ($1,340) |
The backpacker week assumes dorms, market food and one big tour; the mid-range week a 1,500-baht room, cafe breakfasts, Grab and three paid activities; the comfortable week a riverside hotel, private drivers and premium sanctuary programmes. Add 1,000 to 3,000 baht for a side trip to Pai or Chiang Rai.
More Trip Planning#
Chiang Mai costs FAQs#
Is Chiang Mai cheaper than Bangkok?
Yes, by roughly 15 to 30 percent for the same standard. Rooms, transport and food all cost less, and most temples are free, though tours out of the city can make a Chiang Mai day as expensive as a Bangkok one.
How much money do I need per day in Chiang Mai?
Budget 800 to 1,200 baht ($24 to $36) a day as a backpacker, 1,800 to 3,000 baht ($55 to $90) mid-range, and 5,000 baht or more for resorts and private tours. Add the cost of any day tours on top.
How much is a songthaew in Chiang Mai?
A shared red songthaew costs 30 baht per person for most trips around the Old City and 40 to 50 baht for longer rides. A ride up Doi Suthep is roughly 60 to 100 baht each way once the truck fills.
How much does an elephant sanctuary cost in Chiang Mai?
Elephant Nature Park charges 2,500 baht for a half day and 3,500 for most full-day programmes, including transport. Other no-riding sanctuaries charge 1,500 to 3,000 baht.
How much is a cooking class in Chiang Mai?
Half-day classes cost 900 to 1,200 baht and full-day farm classes 1,200 to 1,800, including a market visit, transport and everything you cook.
Can I use credit cards in Chiang Mai?
In hotels, malls, Nimman cafes and larger tour operators, yes. Markets, street food, songthaews and temples are cash only, so carry baht and expect a 220-baht fee on each foreign ATM withdrawal.
How much does it cost to live in Chiang Mai for a month?
A single person lives comfortably on 30,000 to 50,000 baht ($900 to $1,500) a month, with a studio condo at 8,000 to 15,000 baht. Shoestring stays are possible on about 20,000.