Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Dera Ghazi Khan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dera Ghazi Khan: $413 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Dera Ghazi Khan
Learn more

Dera Ghazi Khan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Dera Ghazi Khan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$413

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Dera Ghazi Khan

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 Dera Ghazi Khan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $413 in Dera Ghazi Khan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Dera Ghazi Khan $413

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $645 in Dera Ghazi Khan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Dera Ghazi Khan $645

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $877 in Dera Ghazi Khan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Dera Ghazi Khan $877

Chiang Mai costs about 127% more than Dera Ghazi Khan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Dera Ghazi Khan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Dera Ghazi Khan 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$1.79 PKR 495

25.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$10.92 PKR 3,019

73.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.35 PKR 1,479

3.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 PKR 694

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 PKR 617

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.51 PKR 417

10.60%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.48 PKR 133

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.29 PKR 81.5

6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.77 PKR 213

153.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.60 PKR 167

140.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.24 PKR 343

7.26%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.25 PKR 345

82.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$8.67 PKR 2,398

89.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.50 PKR 691

11.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$4.13 PKR 1,143

125.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.11 PKR 307

111.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$0.66 PKR 181

46.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.60 PKR 166

166.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.64 PKR 176

134.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.30 PKR 83.1

326.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.48 PKR 132

129.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.44 PKR 121

61.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.40 PKR 112

22.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.56 PKR 154

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 PKR 154

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 PKR 204

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.45 PKR 402

185.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.16 PKR 43.82

443.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$9.35 PKR 2,586

478.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$1.10 PKR 305

5.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.10 PKR 305

-51.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$2.96 PKR 818

-18.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.92 PKR 254

57.61%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$23.3K PKR 6.4M

-9.64%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$23.3K PKR 6.4M

15.73%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$66.7 PKR 18.4K

-6.82%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$5.46 PKR 1,509

122.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$14.17 PKR 3,916

41.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$13.91 PKR 3,845

168.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.97 PKR 1,926

-45.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.26 PKR 2,008

-10.61%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$26.00 PKR 7,188

2731.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$2,035 PKR 562.7K

625.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$19.20 PKR 5,307

177.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$26.81 PKR 7,412

-8.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$55.2 PKR 15.3K

65.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$30.05 PKR 8,306

139.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$146 PKR 40.5K

229.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$72.6 PKR 20.1K

325.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$279 PKR 77.0K

261.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$166 PKR 45.8K

282.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$830 PKR 229.6K

184.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$493 PKR 136.3K

222.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.83

-52.92%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dera Ghazi Khan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$73 17.6% 76.5% $236

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$98 23.8% 58.1% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$59 14.3% 45.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$86 20.9% 8.6% $8.1

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$52 12.5% 33.5% $26

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$17 4% 72.9% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Dera Ghazi Khan

$28 6.9% 43.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $146 in Dera Ghazi Khan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $11 in Dera Ghazi Khan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $98 – making Dera Ghazi Khan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Dera Ghazi Khan

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

08:26 8:26 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

399,064

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Dera Ghazi Khan 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Dera Ghazi Khan

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 Dera Ghazi Khan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 127% more than Dera Ghazi Khan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $619 in Dera Ghazi Khan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dera Ghazi Khan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $146 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $26 in Dera Ghazi Khan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 139% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $413 in Dera Ghazi Khan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Dera Ghazi Khan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Dera Ghazi Khan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 56% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.