Chiang Mai vs Kathmandu - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chiang Mai Kathmandu
🚶 Cost of living one person
$780
$412
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2112
$1054
🏠 One person rent
$353
$122
🏘️ Family rent
$618
$207
🍽️ Food expenses
$263
$175
🚐 Transport expenses
$81.5
$67.5
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$577
$214
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Bad
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
2 km
🎓 Higher education
56
29
😀 Quality of life
65
51
🏙️ Population
1.2M
846K

The cost of living in Chiang Mai is 90% more expensive than in Kathmandu. Cities ranked 6841st and 8958th ($780 vs $412) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 20th and 1st in Thailand and Nepal, respectively. Check Thailand vs Nepal comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.7 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 5309th and 6657th among best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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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
$2.24
$1.72
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$20.8
$17.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.07
$5.81
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.26
$2.53
☕ Cappuccino
$1.99
$1.69
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.81
$0.53
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$444
$163
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$253
$78.3
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$808
$289
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$465
$141
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$42.2
$18
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$65.2
$28
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$19.7
$8.24
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
5.79%
10.2%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2110
$2071
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1564
$1335
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.98
$0.21
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$21.8
$10.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$10.1
$12.8
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.3
$1.16
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.98
$0.81
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.78
$0.55
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.27
$0.9
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.28
$1.78
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$17.8
$7.82
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.38
$3.04
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.4
$5.56
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.62
$2.12
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.09
$1.03
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.72
$1.36
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.7
$0.68
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.48
$0.45
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$0.66
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.36
$0.16
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.36
$1.67
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$19.2
$6.86
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.84
$2.32
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.69
$2.79
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$1.29
$1.2
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.52
$2.43
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.31
$0.89
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.55
$0.68
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$40.1
$20
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$5.8
$3.13
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$19.8
$21
💇 Haircut, simple
$4.42
$2.62
👖 Brand Jeans
$60
$21.7
👟 Brand Sneakers
$103
$58.5
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$743
$69.1
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$16138
$3536

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
$709
153 km or 95 mi Chiang Rai
$626
255 km or 158 mi Hpa-an
$593
258 km or 160 mi Phitsanulok
$585
294 km or 183 mi Mawlamyine
$571
306 km or 190 mi Taunggyi
$546
308 km or 191 mi Bago
$592
317 km or 197 mi Naypyidaw
$614
353 km or 219 mi Luang Prabang
$1269
363 km or 226 mi Nakhon Sawan
$730
365 km or 227 mi Vang Vieng
$1082
373 km or 232 mi Yangon
$629
392 km or 244 mi Vientiane
$1056
404 km or 251 mi Jinghong
$590
426 km or 265 mi Udon Thani
$581
466 km or 289 mi Mandalay
$550
485 km or 301 mi Khon Kaen
$621
489 km or 304 mi Pu'er
$610
503 km or 313 mi Pathein
$695
537 km or 334 mi Nakhon Ratchasima
$610
545 km or 339 mi Monywa
$528
551 km or 342 mi Tha Khlong
$710
561 km or 349 mi Rangsit
$656
564 km or 351 mi Nakhon Pathom
$658
566 km or 352 mi Pak Kret
$788
571 km or 355 mi Nonthaburi
$789
578 km or 359 mi Lincang
$613
584 km or 363 mi Bangkok
$1027
597 km or 371 mi Pu Chao Saming Phrai
$829
597 km or 371 mi Lat Luang
$833
634 km or 394 mi Thakhek
$1038
641 km or 398 mi Sa Pa
$563
656 km or 407 mi Sittwe
$571
666 km or 414 mi Chaophraya Surasak
$823
667 km or 415 mi Laem Chabang
$838
681 km or 423 mi Pattaya
$874
685 km or 426 mi Nong Prue
$846
699 km or 435 mi Hua Hin
$784
704 km or 438 mi Baoshan
$615
707 km or 439 mi Vinh
$590

Cities near Kathmandu

Distance City Cost of living
5 km or 3.1 mi Lalitpur
$340
47 km or 29 mi Hetauda
$285
94 km or 58 mi Birgunj
$319
124 km or 77 mi Janakpur
$284
146 km or 91 mi Pokhara
$395
183 km or 114 mi Muzaffarpur
$281
222 km or 138 mi Gorakhpur
$295
234 km or 145 mi Biratnagar
$315
235 km or 146 mi Patna
$308
238 km or 148 mi Saharsa
$278
261 km or 162 mi Damak
$310
300 km or 186 mi Purnia
$283
320 km or 199 mi Bhagalpur
$253
322 km or 200 mi Siliguri
$293
332 km or 206 mi Gaya
$282
346 km or 215 mi Jaunpur
$276
355 km or 220 mi Varanasi
$267
359 km or 223 mi Raiganj
$299
384 km or 239 mi Shigatse
$943
398 km or 247 mi Mirzapur
$273
400 km or 249 mi Paro
$443
410 km or 255 mi Malda
$300
411 km or 256 mi Saidpur
$320
421 km or 262 mi Thimphu
$412
431 km or 268 mi Allahabad
$300
438 km or 272 mi Balurghat
$299
443 km or 275 mi Rangpur
$307
447 km or 278 mi Lucknow
$340
449 km or 279 mi Dhanbad
$288
468 km or 291 mi Kulti
$285
476 km or 296 mi Asansol
$280
479 km or 298 mi Dhangadhi
$363
485 km or 301 mi Ranchi
$363
493 km or 306 mi Rajshahi
$281
495 km or 307 mi Berhampore
$298
503 km or 313 mi Durgapur
$284
510 km or 317 mi Bheemdatta
$347
510 km or 317 mi Bogra
$293
517 km or 321 mi Kanpur
$314
553 km or 344 mi Jamshedpur
$360