Chiang Mai vs Kathmandu - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chiang Mai Kathmandu
🚶 Cost of living one person
$659
$455
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1768
$1152
🏠 One person rent
$288
$156
🏘️ Family rent
$548
$284
🍽️ Food expenses
$216
$194
🚐 Transport expenses
$83.1
$58.2
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$529
$236
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Bad
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
2 km
🎓 Higher education
52
28
😀 Quality of life
66
48
🏙️ Population
1.2M
846K

The cost of living in Chiang Mai is 45% more expensive than in Kathmandu. Cities ranked 7120th and 8752nd ($659 vs $455) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 12th 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 0.5 months in Kathmandu. Chiang Mai ranked 2nd best city to live in Thailand vs Kathmandu ranked 1st in Nepal, while ranked 4343rd and 6452nd among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Chiang Mai vs Kathmandu infographic

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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
$1.74
$1.92
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$16.6
$23.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.5
$7.47
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.24
$2.62
 Cappuccino
$1.51
$1.59
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.54
$0.49
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$353
$182
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$207
$107
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$718
$350
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$419
$209
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$33.1
$23.1
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$50.4
$36.7
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$18.7
$10.6
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.38%
13.8%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1937
$2062
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1109
$1180
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.83
$0.23
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$22.1
$9.41
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$11.1
$9.57
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.16
$1.39
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.59
$0.83
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.31
$0.57
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.1
$0.86
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.87
$1.53
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$16.6
$8.53
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.38
$3.11
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.5
$5.81
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.55
$2.5
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.18
$1.08
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.49
$1.29
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.65
$0.73
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.32
$0.47
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.06
$0.63
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.32
$0.17
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.24
$2.07
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$13.9
$6.08
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.75
$2.26
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.93
$3.04
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$1.21
$1.31
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$2.88
$2.74
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.16
$0.98
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.9
$0.73
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$35.6
$24.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$5.71
$3.43
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$18
$16
💇 Haircut, simple
$4.36
$3.19
👖 Brand Jeans
$50.3
$25.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$82.6
$52.5
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$437
$94.3
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$10951
$3189

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
$577
153 km or 95 mi Chiang Rai
$462
255 km or 158 mi Hpa-an
$605
258 km or 160 mi Phitsanulok
$496
294 km or 183 mi Mawlamyine
$566
306 km or 190 mi Taunggyi
$668
308 km or 191 mi Bago
$710
317 km or 197 mi Naypyidaw
$706
353 km or 219 mi Luang Prabang
$1212
363 km or 226 mi Nakhon Sawan
$615
365 km or 227 mi Vang Vieng
$1195
373 km or 232 mi Yangon
$815
392 km or 244 mi Vientiane
$1233
404 km or 251 mi Jinghong
$588
426 km or 265 mi Udon Thani
$500
466 km or 289 mi Mandalay
$715
485 km or 301 mi Khon Kaen
$532
489 km or 304 mi Pu'er
$614
503 km or 313 mi Pathein
$709
537 km or 334 mi Nakhon Ratchasima
$518
545 km or 339 mi Monywa
$669
551 km or 342 mi Tha Khlong
$617
561 km or 349 mi Rangsit
$594
564 km or 351 mi Nakhon Pathom
$481
566 km or 352 mi Pak Kret
$677
571 km or 355 mi Nonthaburi
$704
578 km or 359 mi Lincang
$615
584 km or 363 mi Bangkok
$902
597 km or 371 mi Pu Chao Saming Phrai
$714
597 km or 371 mi Lat Luang
$716
634 km or 394 mi Thakhek
$1184
641 km or 398 mi Sa Pa
$543
656 km or 407 mi Sittwe
$656
666 km or 414 mi Chaophraya Surasak
$647
667 km or 415 mi Laem Chabang
$648
681 km or 423 mi Pattaya
$665
685 km or 426 mi Nong Prue
$653
699 km or 435 mi Hua Hin
$614
704 km or 438 mi Baoshan
$618
707 km or 439 mi Vinh
$575

Cities near Kathmandu

Distance City Cost of living
5 km or 3.1 mi Lalitpur
$355
47 km or 29 mi Hetauda
$390
94 km or 58 mi Birgunj
$345
124 km or 77 mi Janakpur
$337
146 km or 91 mi Pokhara
$386
183 km or 114 mi Muzaffarpur
$272
222 km or 138 mi Gorakhpur
$310
234 km or 145 mi Biratnagar
$342
235 km or 146 mi Patna
$335
238 km or 148 mi Saharsa
$290
261 km or 162 mi Damak
$339
300 km or 186 mi Purnia
$299
320 km or 199 mi Bhagalpur
$271
322 km or 200 mi Siliguri
$343
332 km or 206 mi Gaya
$291
346 km or 215 mi Jaunpur
$329
355 km or 220 mi Varanasi
$306
359 km or 223 mi Raiganj
$325
384 km or 239 mi Shigatse
$1014
398 km or 247 mi Mirzapur
$363
400 km or 249 mi Paro
$476
410 km or 255 mi Malda
$318
411 km or 256 mi Saidpur
$337
421 km or 262 mi Thimphu
$452
431 km or 268 mi Allahabad
$471
438 km or 272 mi Balurghat
$319
443 km or 275 mi Rangpur
$325
447 km or 278 mi Lucknow
$374
449 km or 279 mi Dhanbad
$322
468 km or 291 mi Kulti
$288
476 km or 296 mi Asansol
$276
479 km or 298 mi Dhangadhi
$414
485 km or 301 mi Ranchi
$375
493 km or 306 mi Rajshahi
$293
495 km or 307 mi Berhampore
$311
503 km or 313 mi Durgapur
$312
510 km or 317 mi Bheemdatta
$400
510 km or 317 mi Bogra
$315
517 km or 321 mi Kanpur
$301
553 km or 344 mi Jamshedpur
$328