Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Apatity

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,070 in Apatity, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Apatity
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Apatity Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Apatity

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,070

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Apatity actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,070 in Apatity, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Apatity $1,070

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,672 in Apatity, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Apatity $1,672

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,275 in Apatity, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Apatity $2,275

Chiang Mai is about 14% cheaper than Apatity, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Apatity are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Apatity 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$12.81 ₽1,069

-82.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$33.57 ₽2,801

-41.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$6.93 ₽578

-19.05%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.72 ₽227

-38.97%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.07 ₽89.0

-34.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.57 ₽47.60

-45.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.69 ₽141

42.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.41 ₽285

8.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.05 ₽87.8

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.66 ₽54.8

113.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.23 ₽103

6.50%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.73 ₽145

26.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$12.08 ₽1,008

37.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$6.03 ₽503

-54.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$12.86 ₽1,073

-29.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.82 ₽152

31.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.67 ₽140

-38.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.61 ₽134

1.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$3.04 ₽254

-50.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.84 ₽69.8

53.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.64 ₽53.8

73.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.25 ₽104

-42.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.68 ₽56.7

-22.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.84 ₽237

51.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$8.52 ₽711

110.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.98 ₽81.6

61.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.93 ₽161

47.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.59 ₽48.86

45.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$2.25 ₽188

-46.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.34 ₽28.42

67.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$5.41 ₽452

-56.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.82 ₽68.8

75.61%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$56.8K ₽4.7M

-63.53%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$41.0K ₽3.4M

-34.56%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$134 ₽11.2K

-53.44%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$7.14 ₽596

69.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$9.70 ₽810

105.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$33.93 ₽2,832

9.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$27.18 ₽2,269

-86.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$7.27 ₽607

-10.59%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$401 ₽33.5K

97.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$5,935 ₽495.3K

149.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$90.8 ₽7,578

-40.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$45.47 ₽3,795

-45.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$114 ₽9,533

-20.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$100 ₽8,361

-28.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$417 ₽34.8K

9.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$312 ₽26.0K

-4.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$982 ₽81.9K

-7.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$587 ₽49.0K

-5.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,948 ₽162.6K

-0.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,630 ₽136.0K

-11.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

27.67

-79.87%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Apatity: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Apatity

$312 29.1% 4.6% $14

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Apatity

$217 20.3% 7.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Apatity

$158 14.8% 45.9% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Apatity

$151 14.1% 59.7% $56

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Apatity

$178 16.6% 126% $99

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Apatity

$6.3 * 0.6% 89.6% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Apatity

$48 4.5% 3.2% $1.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $417 in Apatity. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $34.00 in Apatity. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $217 in Apatity – so Apatity wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇺 Apatity

🕒 Local time

22:37 10:37 PM

18:37 6:37 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

48,748

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Apatity 7,050 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Apatity

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 Apatity: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Apatity is pricier by about 16%, 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 $1,605 in Apatity. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $925 in Chiang Mai and $1,070 in Apatity. That's a gap of about 16%.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $401 in Apatity. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Apatity at $1,070. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Apatity 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, Apatity makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.