Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bishkek

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $989 in Bishkek, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bishkek outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Bishkek
Learn more

Bishkek Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Bishkek

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$989

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $989 in Bishkek.

Chiang Mai $925
Bishkek $989

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $1,516 in Bishkek.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Bishkek $1,516

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $2,042 in Bishkek.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Bishkek $2,042

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 6% less than in Bishkek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Bishkek 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$7.01 KGS 613

-67.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$28.94 KGS 2,531

-32.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$6.00 KGS 525

-6.50%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.49 KGS 218

-33.33%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.71 KGS 62.5

-1.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.37 KGS 32.76

-16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.33 KGS 116

81.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$1.96 KGS 172

89.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.99 KGS 86.2

96.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.39 KGS 33.95

261.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.71 KGS 149

-23.39%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.75 KGS 153

24.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$7.82 KGS 684

112.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.68 KGS 410

-41.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$8.86 KGS 775

2.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.37 KGS 120

74.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.83 KGS 160

-43.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.01 KGS 176

-18.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.57 KGS 137

-4.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.62 KGS 54.0

108.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.51 KGS 44.85

117.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.70 KGS 61.5

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.62 KGS 53.9

-14.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.03 KGS 177

112.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$9.13 KGS 799

96.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.38 KGS 120

14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.95 KGS 171

45.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.24 KGS 21.02

258.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$11.77 KGS 1,030

352.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.89 KGS 77.9

35.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.47 KGS 41.16

21.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$5.58 KGS 488

-57.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.96 KGS 83.8

50.00%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$29.7K KGS 2.6M

-30.24%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$33.4K KGS 2.9M

-19.75%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$50.5 KGS 4,417

23.45%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$5.77 KGS 505

109.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$11.99 KGS 1,049

66.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$55.3 KGS 4,839

-32.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$14.53 KGS 1,271

-73.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$5.81 KGS 508

11.88%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$218 KGS 19.1K

263.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$7,840 KGS 685.9K

88.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$56.2 KGS 4,917

-4.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$43.43 KGS 3,799

-43.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$90.5 KGS 7,916

0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$89.8 KGS 7,855

-20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$595 KGS 52.0K

-23.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$416 KGS 36.4K

-28.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,016 KGS 88.9K

-10.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$718 KGS 62.8K

-22.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,748 KGS 152.9K

10.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,225 KGS 107.1K

17.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$497 KGS 43.5K

18.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

20.1

-72.29%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Bishkek

$416 42.1% 39.7% $118

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Bishkek

$177 17.9% 24.9% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Bishkek

$126 12.7% 16.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Bishkek

$68 6.9% 27.7% $26

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Bishkek

$119 12% 51.3% $40

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bishkek

$16 1.6% 73.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bishkek

$67 6.8% 33.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $595 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $29.00 in Bishkek. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $177, with Bishkek cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇬 Bishkek

🕒 Local time

17:21 5:21 PM

16:21 4:21 PM

1 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,012,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 87.48 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 98.35 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Bishkek 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bishkek

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 Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Chiang Mai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $455 in Chiang Mai versus $595 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Chiang Mai versus $218 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bishkek pay roughly 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $989 in Bishkek, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bishkek. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bishkek, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Bishkek are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Bishkek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.