Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Faisalabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Faisalabad: $398 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Faisalabad
Learn more

Faisalabad Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Faisalabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $398 in Faisalabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Faisalabad $398

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $620 in Faisalabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Faisalabad $620

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $841 in Faisalabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Faisalabad $841

Chiang Mai costs about 136% more than Faisalabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Faisalabad are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Faisalabad 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$1.85 PKR 511

22.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$10.80 PKR 2,989

77.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$5.29 PKR 1,465

5.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 PKR 680

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 PKR 605

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.52 PKR 420

13.16%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.43 PKR 120

48.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.30 PKR 81.7

10.00%

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

$0.81 PKR 225

153.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.65 PKR 179

115.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.26 PKR 349

1.59%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.25 PKR 346

80.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.53 PKR 2,362

98.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.59 PKR 716

5.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$3.96 PKR 1,096

136.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.10 PKR 304

118.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.65 PKR 181

55.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.58 PKR 159

177.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.59 PKR 164

157.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.30 PKR 83.6

326.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.47 PKR 130

136.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.62 PKR 172

16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.44 PKR 122

18.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.55 PKR 152

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 PKR 143

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 194

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$1.40 PKR 389

209.29%

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

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$7.08 PKR 1,958

661.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.05 PKR 292

11.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.06 PKR 295

-46.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$2.84 PKR 785

-16.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.17 PKR 324

23.93%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$23.8K PKR 6.6M

-14.14%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$23.2K PKR 6.4M

14.12%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$68.6 PKR 19.0K

-9.07%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$7.88 PKR 2,181

55.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$11.57 PKR 3,203

72.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$14.39 PKR 3,982

163.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$17.78 PKR 4,920

-78.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$7.17 PKR 1,983

-6.42%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$26.99 PKR 7,470

2853.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$2,046 PKR 566.4K

624.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$19.01 PKR 5,263

180.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$26.58 PKR 7,358

-5.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$53.6 PKR 14.8K

71.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$30.28 PKR 8,380

142.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$110 PKR 30.3K

323.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$58.8 PKR 16.3K

418.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$217 PKR 60.0K

322.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$121 PKR 33.5K

356.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$543 PKR 150.4K

251.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$251 PKR 69.3K

474.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$166 PKR 46.0K

257.86%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Faisalabad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Faisalabad

$59 14.8% 80.7% $246

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Faisalabad

$99 25% 58.2% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Faisalabad

$58 14.6% 46.8% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Faisalabad

$88 22.1% 7% $6.6

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Faisalabad

$52 13% 34.4% $27

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Faisalabad

$13 * 3.4% 78.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Faisalabad

$29 7.2% 44.1% $23

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 $110 in Faisalabad. 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 258% 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 $11.00 in Faisalabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $99.0 – making Faisalabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Faisalabad

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

07:04 7:04 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,203,846

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Faisalabad 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Faisalabad

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 Faisalabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 136% more than Faisalabad, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $598 in Faisalabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Faisalabad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $26.99 in Faisalabad. 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 it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Faisalabad, where all-in costs run around $398, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Faisalabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Faisalabad costs $398 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Faisalabad. 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.