Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ashgabat

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,400 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $29,600 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
163

Cost of Living Index in Ashgabat
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Ashgabat Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$3,400

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $3,400 in Ashgabat.

Chiang Mai $936
Ashgabat $3,400

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $5,109 in Ashgabat.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Ashgabat $5,109

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $6,818 in Ashgabat.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Ashgabat $6,818

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 72% less than in Ashgabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Ashgabat is 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$30.91 TMT 104

-92.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$87.1 TMT 292

-78.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$12.81 TMT 42.92

-56.67%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$6.98 TMT 23.40

-76.07%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.56 TMT 5.21

-58.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.82 TMT 2.75

-62.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$5.60 TMT 18.76

-57.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$13.68 TMT 45.84

-73.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$4.49 TMT 15.03

-56.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$2.01 TMT 6.72

-28.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$5.77 TMT 19.34

-76.95%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$6.04 TMT 20.23

-62.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$36.95 TMT 124

-55.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$19.67 TMT 65.9

-85.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$23.60 TMT 79.1

-60.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$5.10 TMT 17.10

-53.92%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$8.63 TMT 28.91

-88.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$7.32 TMT 24.53

-78.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$3.67 TMT 12.30

-59.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.31 TMT 7.75

-44.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.39 TMT 4.65

-20.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$2.63 TMT 8.81

-73.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.08 TMT 3.62

-54.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$25.92 TMT 86.8

-84.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$41.19 TMT 138

-57.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$5.08 TMT 17.01

-68.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.84 TMT 9.51

-2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.15 TMT 0.49

480.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$9.81 TMT 32.85

451.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$2.80 TMT 9.39

-58.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.87 TMT 2.92

-39.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$8.75 TMT 29.33

-72.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.41 TMT 1.37

253.66%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$44.6K TMT 149.3K

-52.76%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$57.0K TMT 190.8K

-52.70%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$576 TMT 1,930

-89.21%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$58.3 TMT 195

-79.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$103 TMT 347

-80.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$197 TMT 659

-81.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$43.87 TMT 147

-91.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$8.80 TMT 29.47

-26.25%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$23.22 TMT 77.8

3070.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$25.2K TMT 84.5K

-41.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$56.8 TMT 190

-6.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$116 TMT 390

-78.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$371 TMT 1,242

-75.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$194 TMT 650

-62.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,396 TMT 4,675

-65.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,000 TMT 3,349

-69.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$2,244 TMT 7,519

-55.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,931 TMT 6,470

-67.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$3,614 TMT 12.1K

-34.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$2,901 TMT 9,717

-45.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$748 TMT 2,507

-21.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.5

-41.37%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Ashgabat

$1,000 29.4% 224% $691

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Ashgabat

$664 19.5% 183% $429

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Ashgabat

$332 9.8% 206% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ashgabat

$738 21.7% 681% $644

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Ashgabat

$434 12.8% 460% $357

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ashgabat

$18 0.5% 71.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ashgabat

$214 6.3% 326% $164

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $1,396 in Ashgabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashgabat pays 27% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $87 in Ashgabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $664 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇲 Ashgabat

🕒 Local time

07:15 7:15 AM

05:15 5:15 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

909,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.268 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.35 TMT (1 TMT = 0.299 USD). 1 EUR = 3.73 TMT (1 TMT = 0.268 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ashgabat 4,460 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ashgabat

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 Ashgabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $3,400 in Ashgabat, so Chiang Mai is about 72% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Chiang Mai. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,396 in Ashgabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $23 in Ashgabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 183% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai 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.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Ashgabat are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Ashgabat on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.