Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alga and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Alga: $847 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Alga
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Alga Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Alga

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$847

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alga 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 Alga and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $847 in Alga versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Alga $847
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,363 in Alga versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Alga $1,363
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,878 in Alga versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Alga $1,878
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Alga costs roughly 9% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alga 38% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.86 ₸4,035

$2.24 ฿75.7

295.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.51 ₸16.2K

$19.00 ฿642

86.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.76 ₸3,081

$5.55 ฿188

21.80%

Cappuccino

$2.39 ₸1,088

$1.67 ฿56.6

43.11%

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

$1.19 ₸540

$0.64 ฿21.56

85.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₸231

$0.31 ฿10.32

64.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.39 ₸632

$2.36 ฿79.6

-41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₸902

$3.66 ฿124

-45.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₸549

$1.95 ฿65.8

-38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.40 ₸181

$1.44 ฿48.51

-72.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ₸689

$1.33 ฿45.07

13.53%

Eggs

$1.80 ₸821

$2.28 ฿77.1

-21.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 ₸4,626

$16.45 ฿556

-38.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.59 ₸2,545

$2.78 ฿94.0

101.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.22 ₸3,746

$9.31 ฿314

-11.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ₸769

$2.35 ฿79.5

-28.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 ₸999

$0.97 ฿32.82

125.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 ₸1,112

$1.60 ฿53.9

52.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 ₸1,036

$1.50 ฿50.7

51.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 ₸280

$1.28 ฿43.15

-52.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 ₸201

$1.10 ฿37.22

-60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ₸550

$0.71 ฿23.84

70.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₸437

$0.49 ฿16.38

95.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₸1,078

$4.14 ฿140

-42.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.93 ₸3,614

$17.52 ฿592

-54.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 ₸563

$1.61 ฿54.5

-22.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₸896

$2.78 ฿94.0

-29.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₸98.4

$0.87 ฿29.33

-74.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.92 ₸6,797

$54.1 ฿1,827

-72.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 ₸510

$1.16 ฿39.08

-3.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 ₸349

$0.53 ฿17.82

45.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 ₸2,622

$2.42 ฿81.8

138.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 ₸254

$1.45 ฿48.93

-61.38%

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

$26.6K ₸12.1M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

26.08%

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

$28.0K ₸12.8M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

4.07%

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

$61.1 ₸27.8K

$62.2 ฿2,100

-1.69%

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

$9.94 ₸4,529

$12.17 ฿411

-18.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.32 ₸7,433

$20.12 ฿680

-18.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.08 ₸19.6K

$37.31 ฿1,260

15.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$5.30 ₸2,412

$6.49 ฿219

-18.34%

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

$126 ₸57.2K

$736 ฿24.9K

-82.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,779 ₸2.2M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-67.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 ₸29.7K

$53.4 ฿1,802

22.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.13 ₸17.8K

$24.64 ฿832

58.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 ₸39.9K

$91.5 ฿3,089

-4.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 ₸42.1K

$71.9 ฿2,429

28.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$299 ₸136.1K

$482 ฿16.3K

-38.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 ₸100.0K

$309 ฿10.4K

-28.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 ₸272.7K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-40.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 ₸196.1K

$633 ฿21.4K

-32.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,081 ₸492.3K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-54.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$975 ₸444.2K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-38.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.25

5.57

245.60%

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

Last update for Alga: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alga

$220 25.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 40.6% $89

Groceries & Markets

Alga

$200 23.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 17.1% $34

Eating Out

Alga

$138 16.2%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 43.6% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Alga

$128 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 15.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alga

$87 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 8.1% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Alga

$54 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 6.3% $3.4

Getting Around

Alga

$21 2.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 196% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $299 in Alga and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36 in Alga vs $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $200 vs $234, with Alga cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Alga

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:49 1:49 AM

03:49 3:49 AM

2 h ahead of Alga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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 = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 455 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 507 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Alga Chiang Mai 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Alga
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

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

Alga wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Alga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,270 in Alga and $1,403 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $299 in Alga versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $847 per month in Alga versus $936 in Chiang Mai – Alga is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Alga runs roughly 72% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Alga is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.