Chiang Mai vs Kathmandu - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chiang Mai Kathmandu
🚶 Cost of living one person
$742
$443
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2009
$1153
🏠 One person rent
$320
$147
🏘️ Family rent
$613
$283
🍽️ Food expenses
$253
$188
🚐 Transport expenses
$91.2
$62.3
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$627
$231
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Bad
✈️ Airport proximity
3 km
2 km
🎓 Higher education
52
28
😀 Quality of life
63
45
🏙️ Population
1.2M
846K

The cost of living in Chiang Mai is 68% more expensive than in Kathmandu. Cities ranked 6705th and 8885th ($742 vs $443) 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 0.5 months in Kathmandu. Chiang Mai ranked 3rd best city to live in Thailand vs Kathmandu ranked 1st in Nepal, while ranked 4766th and 6524th 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
$1.85
$1.48
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$19.8
$22.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.71
$6.71
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.29
$2.63
☕ Cappuccino
$1.84
$1.71
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.65
$0.48
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$388
$180
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$232
$97.7
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$854
$359
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$458
$208
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$36.8
$22.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$56.6
$34.1
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$19.7
$10.6
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
5.13%
12.76%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2266
$2306
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1540
$1201
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.93
$0.22
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$24.5
$8.86
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$12.3
$11.3
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.24
$1.28
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.74
$0.85
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.61
$0.57
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.25
$0.9
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.16
$1.6
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.9
$9.7
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.87
$3.29
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.4
$5.35
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.97
$2.41
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.23
$1.04
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.59
$1.22
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.1
$0.72
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.46
$0.49
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.29
$0.66
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.36
$0.17
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.38
$1.82
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$18.3
$5.99
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.91
$2.21
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.58
$2.96
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$1.34
$1.3
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.19
$2.65
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.3
$0.95
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.11
$0.73
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$40.5
$23.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$6.08
$3.33
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$18.9
$15.9
💇 Haircut, simple
$4.76
$2.84
👖 Brand Jeans
$59.2
$25.5
👟 Brand Sneakers
$85.4
$53.3
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$488
$87.7
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$13977
$4063

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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
$655
153 km or 95 mi Chiang Rai
$513
255 km or 158 mi Hpa-an
$612
258 km or 160 mi Phitsanulok
$559
294 km or 183 mi Mawlamyine
$564
306 km or 190 mi Taunggyi
$617
308 km or 191 mi Bago
$783
317 km or 197 mi Naypyidaw
$690
353 km or 219 mi Luang Prabang
$1251
363 km or 226 mi Nakhon Sawan
$674
365 km or 227 mi Vang Vieng
$1174
373 km or 232 mi Yangon
$919
392 km or 244 mi Vientiane
$1168
404 km or 251 mi Jinghong
$599
426 km or 265 mi Udon Thani
$555
466 km or 289 mi Mandalay
$613
485 km or 301 mi Khon Kaen
$608
489 km or 304 mi Pu'er
$626
503 km or 313 mi Pathein
$792
537 km or 334 mi Nakhon Ratchasima
$564
545 km or 339 mi Monywa
$588
551 km or 342 mi Tha Khlong
$664
561 km or 349 mi Rangsit
$613
564 km or 351 mi Nakhon Pathom
$564
566 km or 352 mi Pak Kret
$739
571 km or 355 mi Nonthaburi
$759
578 km or 359 mi Lincang
$623
584 km or 363 mi Bangkok
$994
597 km or 371 mi Pu Chao Saming Phrai
$786
597 km or 371 mi Lat Luang
$787
634 km or 394 mi Thakhek
$1151
641 km or 398 mi Sa Pa
$549
656 km or 407 mi Sittwe
$593
666 km or 414 mi Chaophraya Surasak
$758
667 km or 415 mi Laem Chabang
$769
681 km or 423 mi Pattaya
$800
685 km or 426 mi Nong Prue
$773
699 km or 435 mi Hua Hin
$676
704 km or 438 mi Baoshan
$625
707 km or 439 mi Vinh
$583

Cities near Kathmandu

Distance City Cost of living
5 km or 3.1 mi Lalitpur
$350
47 km or 29 mi Hetauda
$311
94 km or 58 mi Birgunj
$335
124 km or 77 mi Janakpur
$321
146 km or 91 mi Pokhara
$377
183 km or 114 mi Muzaffarpur
$294
222 km or 138 mi Gorakhpur
$306
234 km or 145 mi Biratnagar
$339
235 km or 146 mi Patna
$356
238 km or 148 mi Saharsa
$297
261 km or 162 mi Damak
$331
300 km or 186 mi Purnia
$303
320 km or 199 mi Bhagalpur
$268
322 km or 200 mi Siliguri
$314
332 km or 206 mi Gaya
$337
346 km or 215 mi Jaunpur
$331
355 km or 220 mi Varanasi
$316
359 km or 223 mi Raiganj
$312
384 km or 239 mi Shigatse
$930
398 km or 247 mi Mirzapur
$365
400 km or 249 mi Paro
$455
410 km or 255 mi Malda
$311
411 km or 256 mi Saidpur
$293
421 km or 262 mi Thimphu
$387
431 km or 268 mi Allahabad
$461
438 km or 272 mi Balurghat
$311
443 km or 275 mi Rangpur
$298
447 km or 278 mi Lucknow
$393
449 km or 279 mi Dhanbad
$285
468 km or 291 mi Kulti
$284
476 km or 296 mi Asansol
$273
479 km or 298 mi Dhangadhi
$396
485 km or 301 mi Ranchi
$396
493 km or 306 mi Rajshahi
$279
495 km or 307 mi Berhampore
$309
503 km or 313 mi Durgapur
$288
510 km or 317 mi Bheemdatta
$379
510 km or 317 mi Bogra
$282
517 km or 321 mi Kanpur
$329
553 km or 344 mi Jamshedpur
$330