Chiang Mai vs Kathmandu - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chiang Mai Kathmandu
🚶 Cost of living one person
$691
$419
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1891
$1077
🏠 One person rent
$291
$131
🏘️ Family rent
$597
$240
🍽️ Food expenses
$237
$181
🚐 Transport expenses
$89
$62.2
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$680
$238
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Bad
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
2 km
🎓 Higher education
56
28
😀 Quality of life
64
46
🏙️ Population
1.2M
846K

The cost of living in Chiang Mai is 65% more expensive than in Kathmandu. Cities ranked 6939th and 8918th ($691 vs $419) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 19th and 1st in Thailand and Nepal, respectively. Check Thailand vs Nepal comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1 months in Chiang Mai compared to 0.6 months in Kathmandu. Chiang Mai ranked 3rd best city to live in Thailand vs Kathmandu ranked 1st in Nepal, while ranked 4535th and 6495th 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
$1.78
$1.44
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$17.7
$18.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.11
$6.47
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.15
$2.57
☕ Cappuccino
$1.84
$1.81
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.7
$0.48
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$362
$162
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$203
$84.7
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$759
$296
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$461
$173
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$38.2
$21.6
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$59
$32.8
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$17.3
$9.58
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.98%
12.88%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2045
$2191
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1110
$1059
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.88
$0.22
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$23.5
$10.9
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$12.1
$10.8
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.2
$1.26
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.61
$0.82
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.52
$0.55
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.21
$0.9
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.02
$1.62
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$16.5
$8.84
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.98
$3.13
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.1
$5.67
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.73
$2.31
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.19
$1
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.31
$1.06
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.41
$0.76
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.38
$0.51
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.2
$0.67
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.32
$0.17
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.37
$1.76
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$17.7
$7.27
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.82
$2.23
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.46
$2.87
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$1.21
$1.24
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.36
$2.53
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.25
$0.92
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.46
$0.69
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$37.8
$22.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$5.63
$3.22
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$19
$15.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$4.48
$2.77
👖 Brand Jeans
$56.4
$23.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$83.2
$53.2
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$294
$85.2
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$14196
$3409

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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
$633
153 km or 95 mi Chiang Rai
$584
255 km or 158 mi Hpa-an
$610
258 km or 160 mi Phitsanulok
$537
294 km or 183 mi Mawlamyine
$569
306 km or 190 mi Taunggyi
$660
308 km or 191 mi Bago
$650
317 km or 197 mi Naypyidaw
$701
353 km or 219 mi Luang Prabang
$1253
363 km or 226 mi Nakhon Sawan
$654
365 km or 227 mi Vang Vieng
$1183
373 km or 232 mi Yangon
$705
392 km or 244 mi Vientiane
$1163
404 km or 251 mi Jinghong
$604
426 km or 265 mi Udon Thani
$543
466 km or 289 mi Mandalay
$710
485 km or 301 mi Khon Kaen
$568
489 km or 304 mi Pu'er
$625
503 km or 313 mi Pathein
$778
537 km or 334 mi Nakhon Ratchasima
$588
545 km or 339 mi Monywa
$661
551 km or 342 mi Tha Khlong
$641
561 km or 349 mi Rangsit
$595
564 km or 351 mi Nakhon Pathom
$548
566 km or 352 mi Pak Kret
$715
571 km or 355 mi Nonthaburi
$717
578 km or 359 mi Lincang
$628
584 km or 363 mi Bangkok
$941
597 km or 371 mi Pu Chao Saming Phrai
$748
597 km or 371 mi Lat Luang
$753
634 km or 394 mi Thakhek
$1161
641 km or 398 mi Sa Pa
$553
656 km or 407 mi Sittwe
$678
666 km or 414 mi Chaophraya Surasak
$739
667 km or 415 mi Laem Chabang
$743
681 km or 423 mi Pattaya
$781
685 km or 426 mi Nong Prue
$752
699 km or 435 mi Hua Hin
$656
704 km or 438 mi Baoshan
$632
707 km or 439 mi Vinh
$579

Cities near Kathmandu

Distance City Cost of living
5 km or 3.1 mi Lalitpur
$341
47 km or 29 mi Hetauda
$294
94 km or 58 mi Birgunj
$321
124 km or 77 mi Janakpur
$292
146 km or 91 mi Pokhara
$391
183 km or 114 mi Muzaffarpur
$288
222 km or 138 mi Gorakhpur
$300
234 km or 145 mi Biratnagar
$323
235 km or 146 mi Patna
$316
238 km or 148 mi Saharsa
$292
261 km or 162 mi Damak
$317
300 km or 186 mi Purnia
$300
320 km or 199 mi Bhagalpur
$282
322 km or 200 mi Siliguri
$312
332 km or 206 mi Gaya
$299
346 km or 215 mi Jaunpur
$297
355 km or 220 mi Varanasi
$308
359 km or 223 mi Raiganj
$309
384 km or 239 mi Shigatse
$900
398 km or 247 mi Mirzapur
$329
400 km or 249 mi Paro
$459
410 km or 255 mi Malda
$308
411 km or 256 mi Saidpur
$296
421 km or 262 mi Thimphu
$422
431 km or 268 mi Allahabad
$314
438 km or 272 mi Balurghat
$307
443 km or 275 mi Rangpur
$296
447 km or 278 mi Lucknow
$366
449 km or 279 mi Dhanbad
$293
468 km or 291 mi Kulti
$300
476 km or 296 mi Asansol
$299
479 km or 298 mi Dhangadhi
$384
485 km or 301 mi Ranchi
$375
493 km or 306 mi Rajshahi
$274
495 km or 307 mi Berhampore
$304
503 km or 313 mi Durgapur
$292
510 km or 317 mi Bheemdatta
$370
510 km or 317 mi Bogra
$280
517 km or 321 mi Kanpur
$315
553 km or 344 mi Jamshedpur
$361