40 cheap eats places in Chiang Mai, editor-picked. the best low-budget spots in Chiang Mai: the places editors actually return to. All Chiang Mai food.
Khao Soi Khun Yai ★ 4.4
old-city · Sri Poom 8 Alley, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
A garage khao soi counter behind Wat Kuan Kama that many locals rank the city's best, ladling a deep spicy curry broth until it sells out by early afternoon.
Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak (Cowboy Hat Lady) ★ 4.4
chang-phueak · 248/70 Manee Nopparat Road, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
The Cowboy Hat Lady's stall at the Chang Phueak gate ladles fall-apart braised pork leg over rice with a soft egg, a Bourdain-blessed 60-baht dinner.
Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak (Cowboy Hat Lady) ★ 4.4
chang-phueak · 248/70 Manee Nopparat Road, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
The Cowboy Hat Lady's braised pork-leg stall runs to midnight at the North Gate market, among the best cheap late dinners in Chiang Mai when kitchens close.
Khao Soi Lung Prakit Kad Kom ★ 4.4
wualai · 53 Suriyawong Road Soi 5, Hai Ya, Mueang Chiang Mai 50100
Tip: It sits inside Kad Kom market south of the moat; go mid-morning and pair the khao soi with a plate of naem crispy-rice.
Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak (Cowboy Hat Lady) ★ 4.4
chang-phueak · 248/70 Manee Nopparat Road, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
The Cowboy Hat Lady's braised pork leg over rice at the North Gate market is the classic 50-baht Chiang Mai dinner, soft, sweet and reliably packed.
Khao Soi Mae Sai ★ 4.3
chang-phueak · 29/1 Ratchaphuek Alley, Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai 50300
A Bib Gourmand shophouse near the Ratchaphuek lane, pouring a classic coconut khao soi over egg noodles for 50 to 75 baht since long before Michelin arrived.
Khao Soi Lamduan Fa Ham ★ 4.3
wat-ket · 352/22 Charoenrat Road, Wat Ket, Mueang Chiang Mai 50000
A 70-year Fa Ham legend on Charoenrat, its creamy khao soi with tender beef drawing queues onto the pavement each morning before it sells out.
Sai Ua Dam Rong ★ 4.3
chang-khlan · Warorot Market, Wichayanon Road, Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang Mai 50300
The famous Warorot Market sausage stall, coiling lemongrass-and-herb sai ua sold by weight alongside pork rinds and chili dips, the benchmark for the dish.
Khao Soi Mae Sai ★ 4.3
chang-phueak · 29/1 Ratchaphuek Alley, Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai 50300
A Bib Gourmand bowl of coconut khao soi for 50 to 75 baht near the Ratchaphuek lane, proof the city's best noodles cost less than a coffee in Nimman.
SP Chicken ★ 4.2
old-city · 9/1 Sam Lan Road Soi 1, Phra Singh, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
A rotisserie-chicken shop near Wat Phra Singh whose charcoal-blistered gai yang and papaya salad make it the Old City's go-to for a cheap Isan-style lunch.
Cherng Doi Roast Chicken ★ 4.2
nimman · 11-13 Suthep Road Soi 5, Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
A student-packed Nimman corner famous for herb-marinated roast chicken and northern-Isan grilled plates, cheap, smoky and busy from the moment it opens.
Kiat Ocha ★ 4.2
old-city · 41-43 Inthawarorot Road, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
A packed Old City morning canteen famous for Hainanese chicken rice and charcoal pork satay, a classic khao man gai counter near the market.
Kanomjeen Sanpakoi ★ 4.2
chang-khlan · Thongkham Market, San Pa Khoi, Mueang Chiang Mai 50000
A Bib Gourmand khanom jeen counter at Thongkham Market, ladling northern nam ngiao and curry sauces over fresh rice vermicelli to a morning market crowd.
Khao Soi Arak ★ 4.2
old-city · 10 Phra Pok Klao Road Soi 13, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
Tip: Come before 13:00 on a weekday and add the extra chicken; the broth runs out early and it is closed on Sundays.
Kanomjeen Sanpakoi ★ 4.2
chang-khlan · Thongkham Market, San Pa Khoi, Mueang Chiang Mai 50000
Tip: Get there before 11:00 while the sauces are fresh; point at the nam ngiao pot and add a plate of fresh herbs and crispy pork skin.
SP Chicken ★ 4.2
old-city · 9/1 Sam Lan Road Soi 1, Phra Singh, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
Charcoal gai yang, papaya salad and sticky rice near Wat Phra Singh make SP Chicken one of the Old City's best-value Isan-style lunches under 150 baht.
Cherng Doi Roast Chicken ★ 4.2
nimman · 11-13 Suthep Road Soi 5, Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
Herb-roasted chicken and northern-Isan grills at student prices off Nimman, where a smoky half-chicken with sticky rice still lands well under 200 baht.
Kiat Ocha ★ 4.2
old-city · 41-43 Inthawarorot Road, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
A packed Old City morning canteen famous for Hainanese chicken rice and charcoal pork satay, a classic khao man gai counter near the market.
Khao Soi Islam ★ 4.1
chang-khlan · 22/5 Charoen Prathet Road Soi 1, Chang Khlan, Mueang Chiang Mai 50100
A halal Yunnanese-Muslim kitchen in the Ban Haw quarter serving the beef khao soi and roti that trace the dish to the traders who first brought it.
Pun Pun Organic Restaurant ★ 4.1
nimman · Wat Suan Dok, Suthep Road, Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
A seed-saving organic vegetarian kitchen tucked behind Wat Suan Dok, plating heirloom-rice Thai plates and ferments from its own farm at rock-bottom prices.
Dan Chicken Rice ★ 4.1
nimman · 51 Sirimangkalajarn Road, Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
A no-frills khao man gai shop off Nimman serving poached and fried chicken over fat-slicked rice with sharp ginger sauce, a cheap, reliable local lunch.
Lert Ros ★ 4.1
old-city · 18/4 Ratchadamnoen Road, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai 50100
A smoky Old City grill down a Ratchadamnoen lane, charring whole salt-crusted tilapia over drum barrels alongside fiery Isan larb and papaya salad.
gO NENG (Wichayanon) ★ 4.1
chang-khlan · Ton Lamyai Market, Wichayanon Road, Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang Mai 50300
A Bib Gourmand fried-dough cart at Ton Lamyai Market, frying crisp pa thong ko to dip in pandan custard, a decades-old late-afternoon Warorot ritual.
Guay Jub Chang Moi Tat Mai ★ 4.1
chang-khlan · Chang Moi Kao Road, Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang Mai 50300
A Bib Gourmand noodle stall near Warorot serving peppery Chinese-style guay jub, rolled rice noodles in a dark broth with crisp pork, since the old town days.
Chiang Mai Gate Market ★ 4.1
wualai · Bamrung Buri Road, Phra Singh, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
A tourist-light evening food market at the south gate, its rock-bottom stalls plating grilled meats, khao soi, som tam and Thai sweets for 30 to 50 baht.
Guay Jub Chang Moi Tat Mai ★ 4.1
chang-khlan · Chang Moi Kao Road, Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang Mai 50300
Tip: It runs late afternoon into the evening near Chang Moi; order the guay jub with extra crispy pork belly and a side of fried wontons.
Khao Soi Islam ★ 4.1
chang-khlan · 22/5 Charoen Prathet Road Soi 1, Chang Khlan, Mueang Chiang Mai 50100
Beef khao soi, roti and biryani for well under 100 baht in the Ban Haw quarter, a cheap, filling window into the dish's Yunnanese-Muslim origins.
Guay Jub Chang Moi Tat Mai ★ 4.1
chang-khlan · Chang Moi Kao Road, Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang Mai 50300
A Bib Gourmand bowl of peppery rolled-noodle guay jub near Warorot for 40 to 60 baht, one of the best cheap late-afternoon feeds in the old town.
gO NENG (Wichayanon) ★ 4.1
chang-khlan · Ton Lamyai Market, Wichayanon Road, Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang Mai 50300
Crisp pa thong ko fried to order at Ton Lamyai Market, dipped in pandan custard for a few coins, the cheapest Bib Gourmand snack in the whole city.
Dan Chicken Rice ★ 4.1
nimman · 51 Sirimangkalajarn Road, Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
A no-frills Nimman khao man gai shop serving poached or fried chicken over rich rice for about 45 baht, a fast, filling budget lunch locals rely on daily.
Doi Chaang Coffee ★ 4.0
chang-khlan · 53 Kampangdin Road, Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang Mai 50100
The Chiang Mai cafe of the pioneering Doi Chang hill-tribe estate, pouring the northern arabica that put Thai highland coffee on the specialty map after 2000.
Suki Koka ★ 4.0
chang-phueak · Manee Nopparat Road, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
A long-running Thai suki stall by the Chang Phueak gate market, cooking noodles, egg and greens in a bubbling broth pot, a cheap late-night northern staple.
Khao Soi Mueang Klaeng ★ 4.0
chang-phueak · Chang Phuak Road Soi 2, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
A neighbourhood khao soi shop north of the moat pouring a classic coconut curry broth over egg noodles, a quiet local lunch away from the tourist counters.
Mr Kai Khao Soi ★ 4.0
old-city · 1/10 Phra Pok Klao Road Soi 13, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai 50200
A tucked-away Old City khao soi counter down Phra Pok Klao Soi 13, a low-key local favourite ladling coconut curry noodles until the pot runs out.
Khao Soi Mae Manee ★ 4.0
chang-phueak · 45/9 Chiang Mai-Lampang Superhighway, Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai 50300
A local khao soi kitchen on the ring road prized for a thick, creamy coconut broth and homemade curry paste, worth the short drive north for the real thing.
Lung Ka Jorn Wat Ket ★ 4.0
wat-ket · Charoenrat Road, Wat Ket, Mueang Chiang Mai 50000
A Bib Gourmand takeaway stall in Wat Ket folding crisp Thai crepes and steaming savoury tapioca dumplings, a beloved afternoon snack run near the river.
Roti Pa Dae ★ 4.0
chang-khlan · Charoen Prathet Road, Chang Khlan, Mueang Chiang Mai 50100
A Bib Gourmand roti cart in the Ban Haw Muslim quarter, griddling buttery flatbread and savoury mataba by the night bazaar to a queue that rarely thins.
Somphet Market ★ 4.0
old-city · 131/3 Moon Mueang Road, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai 50300
A small, local fresh-food market inside the northeast moat where morning stalls sell curry-and-rice parcels, sai ua, sticky rice, fruit and cheap ready meals.
Khao Soi Wulai ★ 4.0
wualai · Wualai Road, Hai Ya, Mueang Chiang Mai 50100
Tip: It is a lunch-only spot; arrive before 14:00 and expect to share one of just a few tables with the neighbourhood regulars.
Aroon Rai ★ 3.9
old-city · 45 Kotchasan Road, Chang Khlan, Mueang Chiang Mai 50100
One of the city's oldest northern kitchens on Kotchasan, an unfussy tin-roof room turning out cheap plates of hang lay and larb since the 1950s.