Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,363 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,363 per month in Almaty vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Almaty $1,363
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,131 per month in Almaty vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Almaty $2,131
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,900 per month in Almaty vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Almaty $2,900
Chiang Mai $1,903

Almaty costs about 47% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Almaty sits 1% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 ₸5,899

$2.29 ฿76.5

469.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 ₸19.6K

$19.64 ฿656

121.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ₸3,962

$5.61 ฿188

56.15%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ₸1,501

$1.66 ฿55.6

100.00%

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

$1.34 ₸607

$0.70 ฿23.40

91.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸374

$0.31 ฿10.24

167.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₸1,518

$2.41 ฿80.4

39.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 ₸1,818

$3.71 ฿124

8.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₸747

$1.95 ฿65.3

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₸421

$1.41 ฿47.03

-34.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ₸927

$1.31 ฿43.62

56.49%

Eggs

$2.46 ₸1,113

$2.18 ฿72.9

12.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 ₸5,646

$16.65 ฿556

-24.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,035

$2.76 ฿92.2

143.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$9.11 ฿304

19.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ₸807

$2.39 ฿80.0

-25.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.03 ฿34.26

118.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 ₸1,299

$1.63 ฿54.4

76.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 ₸1,227

$1.50 ฿50.0

80.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ₸362

$1.29 ฿43.13

-37.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸249

$1.11 ฿37.03

-50.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.72 ฿24.08

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₸453

$0.53 ฿17.59

88.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$4.31 ฿144

-40.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,039

$17.95 ฿600

-37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₸572

$1.58 ฿52.9

-20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₸1,120

$2.84 ฿95.0

-12.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₸128

$0.86 ฿28.86

-67.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.05 ₸9,970

$53.3 ฿1,780

-58.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 ₸607

$1.21 ฿40.29

10.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.57 ฿18.99

12.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.04 ₸4,993

$2.35 ฿78.6

369.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸326

$1.44 ฿47.96

-50.00%

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

$28.1K ₸12.7M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

35.76%

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

$31.8K ₸14.4M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

18.67%

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

$90.5 ₸40.9K

$62.3 ฿2,083

45.23%

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

$10.63 ₸4,805

$12.11 ฿405

-12.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.12 ₸8,190

$19.94 ฿666

-9.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₸31.2K

$37.07 ฿1,239

86.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 ₸12.2K

$3.78 ฿126

613.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 ₸3,062

$6.50 ฿217

4.15%

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

$444 ₸200.6K

$793 ฿26.5K

-44.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₸5.4M

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-19.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 ₸41.5K

$53.7 ฿1,796

70.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.80 ₸21.6K

$24.62 ฿823

94.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 ₸63.0K

$90.9 ฿3,036

53.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₸59.4K

$71.1 ฿2,378

84.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 ₸351.2K

$455 ฿15.2K

70.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₸223.4K

$298 ฿9,954

65.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 ₸650.4K

$908 ฿30.4K

58.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 ₸409.2K

$554 ฿18.5K

63.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,470 ₸1.1M

$1,931 ฿64.5K

27.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,517 ₸685.7K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

5.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 ₸387.2K

$591 ฿19.7K

44.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

5.57

270.74%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$494 36.3%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 39.7% $196

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 6% $15

Eating Out

Almaty

$204 15%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 61.5% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 41.4% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$119 8.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 20.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 39.4% $32

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 119% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $777 in Almaty versus $455 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 45% higher in Almaty, 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 $43.00 in Almaty versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:34 3:34 PM

16:34 4:34 PM

1 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

127,240

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 23, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Almaty Chiang Mai 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
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

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

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,044 per month in Almaty and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,363 in Almaty and $925 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 47%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Almaty at $1,363. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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