Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Darkhan

For one person, living is cheaper in Darkhan: $639 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Darkhan
Learn more

Darkhan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Darkhan

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $639 in Darkhan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Darkhan $639

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,049 in Darkhan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Darkhan $1,049

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,459 in Darkhan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Darkhan $1,459

Chiang Mai costs about 46% more than Darkhan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Darkhan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Darkhan 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$5.47 MNT 19.7K

-59.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$31.70 MNT 113.9K

-40.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.58 MNT 20.0K

-0.54%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.36 MNT 8,481

-29.24%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$0.87 MNT 3,135

-26.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$0.57 MNT 2,032

-45.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.31 MNT 8,291

2.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.23 MNT 11.6K

13.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.48 MNT 5,326

31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$0.98 MNT 3,507

46.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$2.05 MNT 7,361

-35.12%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.15 MNT 7,744

6.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$12.46 MNT 44.8K

32.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$4.99 MNT 18.0K

-44.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$6.59 MNT 23.7K

41.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.99 MNT 10.7K

-21.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$2.36 MNT 8,476

-58.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.67 MNT 13.2K

-56.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.10 MNT 11.1K

-51.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$0.75 MNT 2,705

70.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$1.09 MNT 3,921

0.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$1.72 MNT 6,187

-58.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.79 MNT 2,857

-37.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.73 MNT 6,205

139.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$10.34 MNT 37.2K

69.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.43 MNT 5,150

12.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.76 MNT 6,317

57.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$0.55 MNT 1,973

110.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$0.57 MNT 2,032

-7.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$6.26 MNT 22.5K

-61.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$1.12 MNT 4,025

29.46%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$26.4K MNT 94.8M

-20.16%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$34.3K MNT 123.3M

-21.46%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$72.1 MNT 259.2K

-13.81%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$7.36 MNT 26.4K

65.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$13.42 MNT 48.2K

49.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.21 MNT 15.1K

54.16%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$783 MNT 2.8M

-5.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$8,296 MNT 29.8M

77.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$80.6 MNT 289.7K

-33.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$46.13 MNT 165.8K

-46.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$104 MNT 373.8K

-12.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$185 MNT 665.9K

-61.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.32

-46.03%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Darkhan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Darkhan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Darkhan

$235 36.7% 0.3% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Darkhan

$187 29.3% 72.3% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Darkhan

$93 14.5% 1.6% $1.5

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Darkhan

$113 17.6% 45.1% $35

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Darkhan

$3.4 * 0.5% 94.5% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Darkhan

$8.4 * 1.3% 83.3% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $32 in Darkhan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇳 Darkhan

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

23:59 11:59 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

74,738

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.49 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,594 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,011 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.49 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Darkhan 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Darkhan

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 Darkhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 46% more than Darkhan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $959 in Darkhan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $639 in Darkhan. That makes Darkhan about 32% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $32 in Darkhan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Darkhan, where all-in costs run around $639, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Darkhan 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 $639 in Darkhan to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.