Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Almaty

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.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Chiang Mai $925
Almaty $1,363

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

Chiang Mai $1,414
Almaty $2,131

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

Chiang Mai $1,903
Almaty $2,900

Chiang Mai is about 32% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$13.05 ₸5,899

-82.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$43.44 ₸19.6K

-54.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$8.76 ₸3,962

-35.96%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.32 ₸1,501

-50.00%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.34 ₸607

-47.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.83 ₸374

-62.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$3.36 ₸1,518

-28.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$4.02 ₸1,818

-7.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.65 ₸747

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.93 ₸421

51.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$2.05 ₸927

-36.10%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.46 ₸1,113

-11.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$12.49 ₸5,646

33.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$6.71 ₸3,035

-58.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$10.85 ₸4,905

-16.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.78 ₸807

34.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$2.25 ₸1,018

-54.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.87 ₸1,299

-43.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$2.71 ₸1,227

-44.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.80 ₸362

61.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.55 ₸249

101.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.62 ₸732

-55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$1.00 ₸453

-47.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.58 ₸1,167

67.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$11.15 ₸5,039

60.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.26 ₸572

25.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.48 ₸1,120

14.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.28 ₸128

207.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$22.05 ₸9,970

141.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.34 ₸607

-9.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.64 ₸288

-10.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$11.04 ₸4,993

-78.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.72 ₸326

100.00%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$28.1K ₸12.7M

-26.34%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$31.8K ₸14.4M

-15.74%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$90.5 ₸40.9K

-31.14%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$10.63 ₸4,805

13.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$18.12 ₸8,190

10.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$69.0 ₸31.2K

-46.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$26.98 ₸12.2K

-85.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$6.77 ₸3,062

-3.99%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$444 ₸200.6K

78.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$12.0K ₸5.4M

23.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$91.9 ₸41.5K

-41.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$47.80 ₸21.6K

-48.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$139 ₸63.0K

-34.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$131 ₸59.4K

-45.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$777 ₸351.2K

-41.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$494 ₸223.4K

-39.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,439 ₸650.4K

-36.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$905 ₸409.2K

-38.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,470 ₸1.1M

-21.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,517 ₸685.7K

-4.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$857 ₸387.2K

-31.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

20.65

-73.03%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Almaty

$494 36.3% 65.9% $196

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 6.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Almaty

$185 13.6% 70.7% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Almaty

$119 8.8% 26.4% $25

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Almaty

$204 15% 160% $125

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Almaty

$28 2% 54.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 64.9% $32

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

01:33 1:33 AM

1 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

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).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Almaty

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

Chiang Mai vs Almaty: 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,044 in Almaty. 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $43.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $925 in Chiang Mai and $1,363 in Almaty. 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.