Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Burewala

For one person, living is cheaper in Burewala: $425 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Burewala
Learn more

Burewala Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Burewala

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $425 in Burewala.

Chiang Mai $938
Burewala $425

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $652 in Burewala.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Burewala $652

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $879 in Burewala.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Burewala $879

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 121% more expensive than in Burewala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Burewala 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.13 PKR 590

6.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$10.89 PKR 3,014

76.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$5.41 PKR 1,496

3.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 PKR 763

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 PKR 1,557

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.57 PKR 436

9.55%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.33 PKR 90.5

93.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.19 PKR 53.0

73.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.80 PKR 221

156.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.60 PKR 165

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.13 PKR 313

13.27%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.15 PKR 318

95.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$5.73 PKR 1,587

195.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.48 PKR 687

10.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$4.83 PKR 1,335

93.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.15 PKR 319

108.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.58 PKR 159

74.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.73 PKR 201

120.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.57 PKR 157

166.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.27 PKR 73.5

374.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.35 PKR 97.6

217.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.40 PKR 111

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.37 PKR 103

40.54%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.78 PKR 492

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 PKR 284

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 PKR 646

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$1.96 PKR 542

120.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.17 PKR 46.77

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$10.90 PKR 3,017

394.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.02 PKR 283

14.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.69 PKR 191

-17.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$1.74 PKR 481

36.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.03 PKR 285

40.78%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

-5.16%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$22.7K PKR 6.3M

16.55%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$87.1 PKR 24.1K

-28.41%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$5.60 PKR 1,551

119.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$16.27 PKR 4,502

22.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$15.51 PKR 4,292

144.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$7.36 PKR 2,038

-48.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$4.14 PKR 1,146

62.08%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$39.87 PKR 11.0K

1899.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$950 PKR 263.0K

1460.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$18.52 PKR 5,125

187.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$22.42 PKR 6,206

11.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$69.4 PKR 19.2K

31.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$32.90 PKR 9,104

123.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$130 PKR 35.9K

257.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

350.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$260 PKR 71.9K

252.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$156 PKR 43.1K

254.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,059 PKR 293.2K

80.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$511 PKR 141.4K

181.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-57.15%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Burewala: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Burewala

$68 15.9% 77.8% $237

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Burewala

$90 21.1% 62.3% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Burewala

$64 15.2% 41.1% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Burewala

$109 25.7% 15.2% $14

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Burewala

$54 12.8% 31.4% $25

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Burewala

$16 3.8% 73.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Burewala

$24 5.6% 53.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Chiang Mai and $130 in Burewala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $11.00 in Burewala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $90.0 per month, with Burewala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Burewala

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

231,797

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Burewala 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Burewala

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 Burewala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burewala wins on cost – living expenses run 121% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Burewala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,408 in Chiang Mai and $637 in Burewala to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $464 in Chiang Mai versus $130 in Burewala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Burewala runs roughly 394% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $797 in Chiang Mai versus $39.87 in Burewala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $425 in Burewala versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Burewala but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Burewala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Burewala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $425 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Burewala hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Burewala 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 Burewala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.