Chiang Mai vs Kathmandu - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chiang Mai Kathmandu
🚶 Cost of living one person
$750
$424
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2026
$1080
🏠 One person rent
$354
$134
🏘️ Family rent
$613
$232
🍽️ Food expenses
$237
$181
🚐 Transport expenses
$78.6
$60.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$627
$148
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Bad
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
2 km
🎓 Higher education
56
29
😀 Quality of life
66
47
🏙️ Population
1.2M
846K

The cost of living in Chiang Mai is 77% more expensive than in Kathmandu. Cities ranked 7014th and 8916th ($750 vs $424) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 18th and 1st in Thailand and Nepal, respectively. Check Thailand vs Nepal comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.8 months in Chiang Mai compared to 0.3 months in Kathmandu. Chiang Mai ranked 2nd best city to live in Thailand vs Kathmandu ranked 1st in Nepal, while ranked 4952nd and 6934th among best cities to live in the world.

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Prices in Chiang Mai vs Kathmandu

Prices for goods and services in Chiang Mai and Kathmandu are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Chiang Mai Kathmandu
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$1.99
$1.97
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$19.7
$19.9
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.87
$6.61
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.42
$2.94
☕ Cappuccino
$1.8
$1.77
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.72
$0.61
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$452
$181
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$258
$86.1
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$802
$332
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$467
$156
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$38.7
$20.9
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$59.9
$32
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$18.7
$7.99
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
5.6%
10.29%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1970
$2304
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1475
$1340
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.91
$0.2
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$24.9
$9.78
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$8.65
$10.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.33
$1.19
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.85
$0.76
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.67
$0.6
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.19
$0.92
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.1
$1.65
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.6
$6.63
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.9
$2.89
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.6
$5.31
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.39
$2.01
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.03
$1.05
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.6
$1.3
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.5
$0.59
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.26
$0.44
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.06
$0.58
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.32
$0.15
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.33
$1.61
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.9
$7.83
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.69
$2.43
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.38
$2.64
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$1.23
$1.14
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.41
$2.33
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.29
$0.83
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.48
$0.65
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$39.8
$20.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$6.65
$2.97
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$19.1
$20
💇 Haircut, simple
$4.23
$2.49
👖 Brand Jeans
$58.4
$24.4
👟 Brand Sneakers
$93.6
$62.1
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$796
$66.9
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$15185
$4078

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chiang Mai

Distance City Cost of living
86 km or 53 mi Pai
$675
153 km or 95 mi Chiang Rai
$581
255 km or 158 mi Hpa-an
$601
258 km or 160 mi Phitsanulok
$554
294 km or 183 mi Mawlamyine
$575
306 km or 190 mi Taunggyi
$549
308 km or 191 mi Bago
$610
317 km or 197 mi Naypyidaw
$627
353 km or 219 mi Luang Prabang
$1261
363 km or 226 mi Nakhon Sawan
$707
365 km or 227 mi Vang Vieng
$1033
373 km or 232 mi Yangon
$656
392 km or 244 mi Vientiane
$968
404 km or 251 mi Jinghong
$591
426 km or 265 mi Udon Thani
$564
466 km or 289 mi Mandalay
$555
485 km or 301 mi Khon Kaen
$590
489 km or 304 mi Pu'er
$616
503 km or 313 mi Pathein
$721
537 km or 334 mi Nakhon Ratchasima
$586
545 km or 339 mi Monywa
$534
551 km or 342 mi Tha Khlong
$671
561 km or 349 mi Rangsit
$616
564 km or 351 mi Nakhon Pathom
$603
566 km or 352 mi Pak Kret
$762
571 km or 355 mi Nonthaburi
$761
578 km or 359 mi Lincang
$617
584 km or 363 mi Bangkok
$996
597 km or 371 mi Pu Chao Saming Phrai
$789
597 km or 371 mi Lat Luang
$794
634 km or 394 mi Thakhek
$968
641 km or 398 mi Sa Pa
$553
656 km or 407 mi Sittwe
$583
666 km or 414 mi Chaophraya Surasak
$784
667 km or 415 mi Laem Chabang
$799
681 km or 423 mi Pattaya
$839
685 km or 426 mi Nong Prue
$809
699 km or 435 mi Hua Hin
$787
704 km or 438 mi Baoshan
$617
707 km or 439 mi Vinh
$583

Cities near Kathmandu

Distance City Cost of living
5 km or 3.1 mi Lalitpur
$336
47 km or 29 mi Hetauda
$288
94 km or 58 mi Birgunj
$317
124 km or 77 mi Janakpur
$287
146 km or 91 mi Pokhara
$386
183 km or 114 mi Muzaffarpur
$263
222 km or 138 mi Gorakhpur
$295
234 km or 145 mi Biratnagar
$303
235 km or 146 mi Patna
$293
238 km or 148 mi Saharsa
$264
261 km or 162 mi Damak
$303
300 km or 186 mi Purnia
$270
320 km or 199 mi Bhagalpur
$245
322 km or 200 mi Siliguri
$282
332 km or 206 mi Gaya
$274
346 km or 215 mi Jaunpur
$266
355 km or 220 mi Varanasi
$255
359 km or 223 mi Raiganj
$287
384 km or 239 mi Shigatse
$960
398 km or 247 mi Mirzapur
$264
400 km or 249 mi Paro
$437
410 km or 255 mi Malda
$289
411 km or 256 mi Saidpur
$320
421 km or 262 mi Thimphu
$412
431 km or 268 mi Allahabad
$291
438 km or 272 mi Balurghat
$288
443 km or 275 mi Rangpur
$307
447 km or 278 mi Lucknow
$326
449 km or 279 mi Dhanbad
$273
468 km or 291 mi Kulti
$274
476 km or 296 mi Asansol
$268
479 km or 298 mi Dhangadhi
$348
485 km or 301 mi Ranchi
$354
493 km or 306 mi Rajshahi
$289
495 km or 307 mi Berhampore
$288
503 km or 313 mi Durgapur
$272
510 km or 317 mi Bheemdatta
$330
510 km or 317 mi Bogra
$297
517 km or 321 mi Kanpur
$308
553 km or 344 mi Jamshedpur
$339