Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aktau and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $790 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
Learn more

Aktau Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$790

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aktau and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aktau and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $790 per month in Aktau vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Aktau $790
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,315 per month in Aktau vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Aktau $1,315
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,840 per month in Aktau vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Aktau $1,840
Chiang Mai $1,979

Aktau is about 16% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Aktau and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Aktau 42% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.03 ₸5,023

$2.24 ฿75.5

392.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.54 ₸19.8K

$19.00 ฿640

129.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 ₸4,511

$5.55 ฿187

78.38%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₸1,182

$1.67 ฿56.4

55.09%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₸358

$0.64 ฿21.51

23.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₸223

$0.31 ฿10.29

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₸623

$2.36 ฿79.5

-41.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₸723

$3.66 ฿123

-56.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ₸672

$1.95 ฿65.7

-24.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₸229

$1.44 ฿48.41

-65.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 ₸864

$1.33 ฿44.97

42.86%

Eggs

$1.69 ₸771

$2.28 ฿77.0

-25.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 ₸4,562

$16.45 ฿554

-39.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 ₸1,893

$2.78 ฿93.8

49.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 ₸3,909

$9.31 ฿314

-7.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ₸696

$2.35 ฿79.3

-34.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 ₸1,059

$0.97 ฿32.75

139.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₸1,068

$1.60 ฿53.8

46.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 ₸1,268

$1.50 ฿50.6

85.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸303

$1.28 ฿43.06

-48.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 ₸261

$1.10 ฿37.14

-48.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ₸676

$0.71 ฿23.79

108.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₸414

$0.49 ฿16.34

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 ₸1,181

$4.14 ฿140

-37.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 ₸4,267

$17.52 ฿590

-46.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₸356

$1.61 ฿54.4

-51.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₸418

$2.78 ฿93.8

-66.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ₸70.7

$0.87 ฿29.27

-81.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 ₸498

$1.16 ฿39.00

-6.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸292

$0.53 ฿17.78

20.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸302

$1.45 ฿48.82

-54.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.1K ฿709.7K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.4K ₸14.3M

$26.9K ฿907.9K

16.58%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$45.62 ₸20.8K

$62.2 ฿2,095

-26.62%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.07 ₸3,678

$12.17 ฿410

-33.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ₸4,872

$20.12 ฿678

-46.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.05 ₸16.4K

$37.31 ฿1,257

-3.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 ₸1,379

$6.49 ฿219

-53.31%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$146 ₸66.5K

$736 ฿24.8K

-80.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,678 ₸1.2M

$14.8K ฿497.6K

-81.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 ₸30.7K

$53.4 ฿1,799

26.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 ₸18.1K

$24.64 ฿830

61.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ₸32.6K

$91.5 ฿3,083

-21.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 ₸40.6K

$71.9 ฿2,424

23.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 ₸149.6K

$482 ฿16.3K

-31.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 ₸88.1K

$309 ฿10.4K

-37.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 ₸247.7K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-45.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₸179.0K

$633 ฿21.3K

-37.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$806 ₸367.3K

$2,363 ฿79.6K

-65.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$657 ₸299.1K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-58.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$553 ₸251.9K

$590 ฿19.9K

-6.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

151.35%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aktau: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Aktau

$200 25.3%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 17.2% $34

Accommodation & Living

Aktau

$193 24.5%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 59.7% $115

Eating Out

Aktau

$164 20.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 52.7% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Aktau

$121 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 9.9% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aktau

$64 8.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 46.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Aktau

$42 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 19.4% $8.2

Getting Around

Aktau

$4.9 * 0.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 1147% $56

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $328 in Aktau versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Aktau versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Aktau vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Aktau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Aktau

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

15:35 3:35 PM

2 h ahead of Aktau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,830

127,240

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 456 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Aktau Chiang Mai 5,220 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Aktau
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aktau vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,185 per month in Aktau and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $328 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Aktau and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Aktau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Aktau. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.