Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bukhara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bukhara: $497 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Bukhara
Learn more

Bukhara Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Bukhara

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$497

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $497 in Bukhara, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Bukhara $497

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $763 in Bukhara, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Bukhara $763

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,029 in Bukhara, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Bukhara $1,029

Chiang Mai costs about 89% more than Bukhara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Bukhara are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Bukhara 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$7.02 UZS 84.6K

-67.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$15.82 UZS 190.6K

21.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$4.11 UZS 49.5K

36.01%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.74 UZS 21.0K

-1.15%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.57 UZS 6,918

12.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.31 UZS 3,690

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.05 UZS 24.7K

15.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.25 UZS 27.1K

73.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.04 UZS 12.5K

97.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.37 UZS 4,449

278.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.28 UZS 15.5K

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.43 UZS 17.3K

57.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$10.37 UZS 125.0K

63.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$3.71 UZS 44.7K

-26.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$8.52 UZS 102.6K

9.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.21 UZS 14.6K

98.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.76 UZS 21.2K

-42.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.59 UZS 31.2K

-37.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.94 UZS 23.4K

-21.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.59 UZS 7,072

116.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.28 UZS 3,390

296.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.17 UZS 2,022

323.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.35 UZS 4,174

48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.14 UZS 25.8K

102.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$4.30 UZS 51.8K

312.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.08 UZS 13.0K

50.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.44 UZS 41.5K

-17.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.18 UZS 2,206

372.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.30 UZS 3,578

290.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.24 UZS 2,864

137.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$6.16 UZS 74.2K

-61.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.25 UZS 15.0K

16.00%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$30.30 UZS 365.1K

105.71%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$4.72 UZS 56.9K

159.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$11.89 UZS 143.3K

67.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$78.5 UZS 945.5K

915.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$2,277 UZS 27.4M

551.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$15.10 UZS 182.0K

252.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$29.84 UZS 359.6K

-16.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$61.0 UZS 734.8K

50.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$61.1 UZS 736.1K

20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$202 UZS 2.4M

129.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$101 UZS 1.2M

202.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$248 UZS 3.0M

269.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$121 UZS 1.5M

356.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$627 UZS 7.6M

205.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$295 UZS 3.6M

387.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$337 UZS 4.1M

76.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bukhara: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Bukhara

$101 20.2% 67% $204

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Bukhara

$165 33.2% 30.7% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Bukhara

$75 15.1% 31.4% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Bukhara

$47 9.4% 50.4% $48

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Bukhara

$108 21.6% 36.2% $29

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Bukhara

$2.2 * 0.5% 96.4% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Bukhara

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $202 in Bukhara. 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 76% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Bukhara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $165 – making Bukhara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇿 Bukhara

🕒 Local time

05:10 5:10 AM

03:10 3:10 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

272,500

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 12,051 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.3 USD). 1 EUR = 13,548 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.38 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bukhara 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bukhara

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 Bukhara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai, $497 in Bukhara – roughly 89% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $746 in Bukhara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bukhara, 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 $938 in Chiang Mai and $497 in Bukhara. That's a gap of about 89%.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $78.5 in Bukhara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bukhara, where all-in costs run around $497, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Bukhara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $497 in Bukhara to $938 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Bukhara. 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.