Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Gaighat

For one person, living is cheaper in Gaighat: $302 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
15

Cost of Living Index in Gaighat
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Gaighat Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Gaighat

🇳🇵 Nepal

$302

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $302 in Gaighat, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Gaighat $302

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $497 in Gaighat, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Gaighat $497

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $691 in Gaighat, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Gaighat $691

Chiang Mai costs about 206% more than Gaighat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Gaighat are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Gaighat 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$1.98 NPR 301

15.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$19.91 NPR 3,024

-1.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.71 NPR 1,172

-27.24%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.56 NPR 237

6.41%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.50 NPR 76.4

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.17 NPR 26.15

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$3.03 NPR 461

-20.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.35 NPR 508

10.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.51 NPR 77.4

282.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.23 NPR 34.69

513.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.35 NPR 52.5

274.29%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.04 NPR 158

109.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$7.14 NPR 1,085

133.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$1.91 NPR 291

44.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$2.56 NPR 389

255.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.65 NPR 250

44.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.14 NPR 174

-9.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.68 NPR 103

139.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.34 NPR 51.7

341.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.34 NPR 51.9

279.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.31 NPR 47.73

258.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.45 NPR 68.3

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.11 NPR 17.33

381.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.01 NPR 305

114.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$4.02 NPR 612

346.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.33 NPR 202

18.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$3.02 NPR 458

-5.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.75 NPR 267

-30.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.18 NPR 180

-51.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$3.20 NPR 487

-26.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.33 NPR 203

8.27%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$29.2K NPR 4.4M

-29.09%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$36.0K NPR 5.5M

-25.63%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$31.78 NPR 4,829

96.13%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$3.44 NPR 523

252.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$9.24 NPR 1,405

115.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$3.00 NPR 456

116.67%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$67.1 NPR 10.2K

1081.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$5,408 NPR 821.7K

173.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$25.30 NPR 3,844

112.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$26.72 NPR 4,059

-7.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$63.4 NPR 9,638

43.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$28.92 NPR 4,394

145.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.72

-42.70%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Gaighat: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Gaighat

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Gaighat

$97 32% 59% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Gaighat

$65 21.5% 39.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Gaighat

$44 14.7% 52.9% $50

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Gaighat

$82 27.2% 4.7% $3.7

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Gaighat

$7.7 * 2.5% 87.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Gaighat

$6 * 2% 88% $44

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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $20.00 in Gaighat. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $97.0 in Gaighat – so Gaighat wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇵 Gaighat

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

17:25 5:25 PM

1 h 15 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, 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).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Gaighat 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Gaighat

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 Gaighat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 206% more than Gaighat, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $453 in Gaighat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $20.00 in Gaighat. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 144% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Gaighat, where all-in costs run around $302, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Gaighat 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. Gaighat costs $302 versus $925 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 Gaighat. 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.