Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Gorgan

For one person, living is cheaper in Gorgan: $664 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Gorgan
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Gorgan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Gorgan

🇮🇷 Iran

$664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $664 in Gorgan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Gorgan $664

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,000 in Gorgan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Gorgan $1,000

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,336 in Gorgan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Gorgan $1,336

Chiang Mai costs about 41% more than Gorgan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Gorgan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Gorgan 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.05 $3.05

-26.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$21.75 $21.75

-12.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.57 $4.57

21.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 $1.36

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$0.74 $0.74

125.68%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.44 $0.44

45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.99 $0.99

-68.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.68 $0.68

186.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.49 $0.49

193.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$2.63 $2.63

-49.43%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$0.69 $0.69

230.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$4.39 $4.39

274.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.84 $1.84

51.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$5.13 $5.13

81.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$0.58 $0.58

305.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.22 $1.22

-20.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.78 $0.78

105.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.48 $0.48

212.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.42 $0.42

204.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.39 $0.39

182.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.58 $0.58

22.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.23 $0.23

113.04%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.84 $0.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 $0.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 $1.40

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.47 $2.47

67.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.16 $0.16

443.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$8.55 $8.55

532.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.37 $0.37

213.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.26 $0.26

103.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$2.56 $2.56

-5.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$0.09 $0.09

1511.11%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$50.2K $50.2K

-58.03%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$44.3K $44.3K

-39.16%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$13.23 $13.23

369.92%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$2.08 $2.08

485.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$3.89 $3.89

417.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$29.89 $29.89

24.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$8.45 $8.45

-55.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$1.94 $1.94

234.54%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$109 $109

576.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$2,378 $2,378

521.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$22.32 $22.32

139.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$28.29 $28.29

-12.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$178 $178

-48.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$73.6 $73.6

-2.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$560 $560

-13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$326 $326

-5.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$935 $935

7.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$498 $498

27.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,140 $1,140

107.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$533 $533

198.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$213 $213

176.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.3

-77.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gorgan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Gorgan

$326 49.1% 5.6% $17

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Gorgan

$86 12.9% 63.5% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Gorgan

$136 20.5% 25.1% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Gorgan

$19 2.9% 79.7% $75

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Gorgan

$53 7.9% 32.1% $25

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Gorgan

$11 1.6% 82.3% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Gorgan

$34 5.1% 32.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $560 in Gorgan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $22 in Gorgan. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $86 in Gorgan – so Gorgan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇷 Gorgan

🕒 Local time

01:37 1:37 AM

22:07 10:07 PM

3 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

329,536

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Gorgan 4,770 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Gorgan

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 Gorgan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 41% more than Gorgan, 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 $996 in Gorgan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $560 in Gorgan.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $109 in Gorgan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 174% 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 $664 in Gorgan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $664 in Gorgan to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Gorgan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.