Chiang Mai vs Kathmandu - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chiang Mai Kathmandu
🚶 Cost of living one person
$727
$427
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1970
$1087
🏠 One person rent
$315
$127
🏘️ Family rent
$547
$214
🍽️ Food expenses
$250
$182
🚐 Transport expenses
$85
$69.9
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$505
$253
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Bad
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
2 km
🎓 Higher education
56
28
😀 Quality of life
65
51
🏙️ Population
1.2M
846K

The cost of living in Chiang Mai is 70% more expensive than in Kathmandu. Cities ranked 6954th and 8921st ($727 vs $427) 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 0.7 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 5236th and 6559th 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
$2.01
$1.76
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$19.1
$18.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.95
$6.36
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.25
$2.48
☕ Cappuccino
$1.88
$1.76
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.79
$0.54
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$395
$158
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$221
$84.8
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$703
$284
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$405
$150
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$40.8
$19
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$62.9
$29.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$19.1
$8.19
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
5.15%
11.29%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2210
$1810
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1552
$1154
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.92
$0.21
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$19.1
$10.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$11.8
$13.4
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.27
$1.19
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.74
$0.82
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.56
$0.55
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.19
$0.92
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.05
$1.85
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$16.7
$8.96
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.99
$3.14
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.98
$6.14
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.92
$2.16
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.15
$1
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.72
$1.21
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.63
$0.67
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.41
$0.48
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.2
$0.65
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.34
$0.17
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.4
$1.71
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$18.4
$6.99
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.77
$2.32
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.33
$2.81
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$1.24
$1.22
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.42
$2.48
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.29
$0.9
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.5
$0.69
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$34.8
$21.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$5.07
$3.2
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$18.9
$21.8
💇 Haircut, simple
$4.65
$2.68
👖 Brand Jeans
$61.4
$22.4
👟 Brand Sneakers
$92.4
$58.2
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$643
$75.8
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$15195
$3066

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
$667
153 km or 95 mi Chiang Rai
$603
255 km or 158 mi Hpa-an
$581
258 km or 160 mi Phitsanulok
$558
294 km or 183 mi Mawlamyine
$567
306 km or 190 mi Taunggyi
$534
308 km or 191 mi Bago
$571
317 km or 197 mi Naypyidaw
$594
353 km or 219 mi Luang Prabang
$1261
363 km or 226 mi Nakhon Sawan
$680
365 km or 227 mi Vang Vieng
$1181
373 km or 232 mi Yangon
$614
392 km or 244 mi Vientiane
$1152
404 km or 251 mi Jinghong
$577
426 km or 265 mi Udon Thani
$578
466 km or 289 mi Mandalay
$540
485 km or 301 mi Khon Kaen
$590
489 km or 304 mi Pu'er
$599
503 km or 313 mi Pathein
$666
537 km or 334 mi Nakhon Ratchasima
$588
545 km or 339 mi Monywa
$519
551 km or 342 mi Tha Khlong
$675
561 km or 349 mi Rangsit
$635
564 km or 351 mi Nakhon Pathom
$623
566 km or 352 mi Pak Kret
$736
571 km or 355 mi Nonthaburi
$737
578 km or 359 mi Lincang
$601
584 km or 363 mi Bangkok
$958
597 km or 371 mi Pu Chao Saming Phrai
$774
597 km or 371 mi Lat Luang
$774
634 km or 394 mi Thakhek
$1139
641 km or 398 mi Sa Pa
$529
656 km or 407 mi Sittwe
$558
666 km or 414 mi Chaophraya Surasak
$770
667 km or 415 mi Laem Chabang
$779
681 km or 423 mi Pattaya
$812
685 km or 426 mi Nong Prue
$787
699 km or 435 mi Hua Hin
$724
704 km or 438 mi Baoshan
$607
707 km or 439 mi Vinh
$560

Cities near Kathmandu

Distance City Cost of living
5 km or 3.1 mi Lalitpur
$350
47 km or 29 mi Hetauda
$293
94 km or 58 mi Birgunj
$328
124 km or 77 mi Janakpur
$293
146 km or 91 mi Pokhara
$386
183 km or 114 mi Muzaffarpur
$284
222 km or 138 mi Gorakhpur
$298
234 km or 145 mi Biratnagar
$321
235 km or 146 mi Patna
$320
238 km or 148 mi Saharsa
$281
261 km or 162 mi Damak
$316
300 km or 186 mi Purnia
$284
320 km or 199 mi Bhagalpur
$257
322 km or 200 mi Siliguri
$297
332 km or 206 mi Gaya
$297
346 km or 215 mi Jaunpur
$279
355 km or 220 mi Varanasi
$273
359 km or 223 mi Raiganj
$298
384 km or 239 mi Shigatse
$918
398 km or 247 mi Mirzapur
$276
400 km or 249 mi Paro
$450
410 km or 255 mi Malda
$297
411 km or 256 mi Saidpur
$311
421 km or 262 mi Thimphu
$420
431 km or 268 mi Allahabad
$300
438 km or 272 mi Balurghat
$297
443 km or 275 mi Rangpur
$308
447 km or 278 mi Lucknow
$339
449 km or 279 mi Dhanbad
$289
468 km or 291 mi Kulti
$289
476 km or 296 mi Asansol
$286
479 km or 298 mi Dhangadhi
$383
485 km or 301 mi Ranchi
$369
493 km or 306 mi Rajshahi
$274
495 km or 307 mi Berhampore
$294
503 km or 313 mi Durgapur
$289
510 km or 317 mi Bheemdatta
$367
510 km or 317 mi Bogra
$287
517 km or 321 mi Kanpur
$320
553 km or 344 mi Jamshedpur
$348