** This article was originally written in 2018 — in 2021, however, apartment rent in Chiang Mai is still the same
How much does an apartment in Chiang Mai cost per month in 2021?
A few days ago, I was contacted by a British friend who is selling everything he owns and moving to Chiang Mai, Thailand.
One of the things he wanted to know was how much does an apartment in Chiang Mai cost per month in 2021? And was the amount of money he was budgeting for rent for his first few months in the city enough?
Now, I don’t live in Chiang Mai. But, I have spent many many weeks there on trips from Bangkok, both in hotels and in the apartments of friends. I also know many people who live in Chiang Mai, and have a good idea of how much most of them pay for apartment rent each month.
That being said, I wanted to be sure I was correct about the cost of rent in Chiang Mai before I told my friend what his monthly apartment cost would likely be, so I set off to do a little bit of research.
I called friends to ask about their rent, I visited a few websites and then I headed to YouTube to see if I could find any recent videos on how much an apartment in Chiang Mai currently costs, and what kind of place you are likely to get for specific amounts of money.
So how much does an apartment in Chiang Mai cost per month in 2021?
The cost of an apartment in Chiang Mai, like anywhere else, depends on what type of place you want to live in. It also depends on how much you want to spend.
After all, I could tell you that you could rent an apartment in Chiang Mai for 4,000 baht a month, but it might not be a place you would want to live in. Or I could tell you about a lovely building I know where apartments rent for around 30,000 baht a month, but you may not be able to afford that.
Related: What is cost of living in Chiang Mai like — how much will you spend every month?
Basically, though, the cost of an apartment in Chiang Mai is anything from around 5,000 baht a month (approximately $156 at today’s exchange rate) to upwards of 25,000 baht (approximately $781), and it all depends on what type of apartment you want to live in.
The lower end, of course, will get you a basic room with a bed, a refrigerator, a TV, possibly a hotplate or a microwave oven and, most of the time, a bathroom with a Thai-style shower.
The higher end will get you a western-style apartment, often with a full-size kitchen, a separate living room and at least one bedroom. You will often usually also get a washing machine, a flat screen TV and other nice luxuries the lower end apartments will not include.
Almost all apartments in Chiang Mai, of course, come fully-furnished.
What do apartments in Chiang Mai look like?
If you are curious about just what type of apartment 5,000 baht, 8,000 baht, 15,000 baht or 25,000 baht will pay for in monthly rent in Chiang Mai, I chose a couple of what I think are excellent videos so you can see just some of the apartments that are out there.
Watch them below. And by the way, while these videos are from 2017, no, the prices have not changed.
Remember too, if you are renting for six months, a year or longer, you can often get lower prices than can someone who is only going to be renting a Chiang Mai apartment for one or two months. Just like anywhere, landlords like stable tenants, and they will often drop the price a little bit to get one, so ask about long-term prices before you sign a lease.
Tips when renting apartments in Chiang Mai
- You can rent apartments in Chiang Mai quickly. In other words, you can look for one, find one and move in all on the same day, and apartments are available everywhere. So don’t worry about booking a hotel for a few weeks when you first get there. A couple of nights should give you enough time to find an apartment you would like to live in.
- 8 baht per unit for electricity is expensive, and can easily add up over a month. But you will find serviced apartments in Chiang Mai usually charge this. Try to get an apartment in a building that only charges 5 baht per unit or less instead. You can easily save up to 1,000 baht a month or more that way, particularly if you use air-conditioning, and then apply that saving to your rent and so live in a slightly nicer apartment.
- Take your time when you look, and check out the area where each apartment you like is located before agreeing to rent one. Specifically look for bars close to the apartment as, if there are some, the noise at night can be quite horrendous and it goes on till all hours of the early morning.
- Be sure to factor in if you have to pay for Wi-Fi or if it is included, and if the apartment building has a free gym and swimming pool.
- Look around the area for construction. Construction in Thailand goes on seven days a week till sometimes very late at night. Don’t rent an apartment near a construction site, as you will regret it.
