Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Aktobe Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Aktobe

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $670 in Aktobe, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,054 in Aktobe, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,438 in Aktobe, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 28% more than Aktobe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Aktobe are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Aktobe 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.9

$8.00 ₸3,764

-75.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$29.37 ₸13.8K

-37.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$6.29 ₸2,961

18.92%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.78 ₸838

13.48%

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

$0.85 ฿28.52

$1.44 ₸680

-40.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.97

$0.45 ₸214

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$1.60 ₸753

33.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$2.10 ₸990

70.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.10 ₸517

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.27 ₸128

481.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.05

$1.06 ₸498

12.26%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.50 ₸708

29.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿545

$8.04 ₸3,787

101.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$4.78 ₸2,250

-37.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$7.04 ₸3,316

55.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.42 ₸667

90.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.27

$2.00 ₸940

-41.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$2.39 ₸1,124

-29.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$1.90 ₸893

-15.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.80 ₸375

72.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.47

$0.31 ₸147

287.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.51

$0.82 ₸384

-18.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.74

$0.67 ₸316

-16.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$1.89 ₸890

145.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$5.40 ₸2,543

226.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$0.95 ₸449

95.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.53 ₸719

115.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

$0.14 ₸66.3

528.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.92

$1.01 ₸474

34.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

$0.96 ₸451

39.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$4.77 ₸2,244

72.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.20

$0.49 ₸229

148.98%

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

$21.4K ฿718.5K

$17.9K ₸8.4M

19.13%

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

$22.5K ฿758.1K

$19.5K ₸9.2M

15.44%

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

$70.7 ฿2,378

$40.67 ₸19.1K

73.76%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$10.26 ₸4,832

36.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿589

$10.83 ₸5,099

61.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

$29.27 ₸13.8K

44.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$9.66 ₸4,549

-28.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$4.78 ₸2,249

23.85%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$215 ₸101.3K

43.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.7K

$4,819 ₸2.3M

208.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,876

$35.04 ₸16.5K

59.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿879

$29.64 ₸14.0K

-11.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,793

$91.0 ₸42.8K

-8.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,371

$62.8 ₸29.6K

12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$218 ₸102.4K

98.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

$186 ₸87.6K

28.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$354 ₸166.9K

131.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$279 ₸131.3K

83.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$777 ₸365.7K

146.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

$510 ₸239.9K

187.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$510 ₸240.1K

13.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

-72.81%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Aktobe: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $218 in Aktobe. 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 14% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $29.00 in Aktobe. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $164 in Aktobe – so Aktobe wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 28%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,005 in Aktobe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $861 in Chiang Mai and $670 in Aktobe. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Chiang Mai and $215 in Aktobe. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $670 in Aktobe, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Aktobe – 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 Aktobe. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.