Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Gujranwala

For one person, living is cheaper in Gujranwala: $400 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
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Gujranwala
Learn more

Gujranwala Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Gujranwala

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$400

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $400 in Gujranwala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Gujranwala $400

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $623 in Gujranwala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Gujranwala $623

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $846 in Gujranwala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Gujranwala $846

Chiang Mai costs about 135% more than Gujranwala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$3.62 PKR 1,003

-37.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$12.71 PKR 3,519

50.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$5.33 PKR 1,476

4.88%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 PKR 241

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 PKR 1,850

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.15 PKR 317

49.57%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.23 PKR 63.8

178.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.15 PKR 42.10

120.00%

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

$0.77 PKR 214

166.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.67 PKR 185

108.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.12 PKR 311

14.29%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.28 PKR 353

75.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$6.31 PKR 1,747

168.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.34 PKR 647

17.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$5.43 PKR 1,502

72.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.32 PKR 365

81.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.87 PKR 242

16.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.03 PKR 286

56.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.53 PKR 146

186.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.29 PKR 80.6

341.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.36 PKR 98.8

208.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.24 PKR 66.5

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.38 PKR 104

36.84%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.94 PKR 538

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 PKR 334

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PKR 754

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.15 PKR 595

101.40%

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

$0.16 PKR 44.65

431.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.95 PKR 263

23.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.74 PKR 206

-22.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$1.48 PKR 408

60.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.18 PKR 328

22.88%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

14.34%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$21.4K PKR 5.9M

23.70%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$103 PKR 28.5K

-39.46%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$5.53 PKR 1,532

121.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$16.42 PKR 4,544

21.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$7.06 PKR 1,954

436.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$5.93 PKR 1,642

-36.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$4.21 PKR 1,165

59.38%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$28.10 PKR 7,777

2736.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$941 PKR 260.6K

1475.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$14.29 PKR 3,956

272.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$25.44 PKR 7,041

-1.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$73.3 PKR 20.3K

24.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$33.24 PKR 9,199

121.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$53.8 PKR 14.9K

762.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$31.33 PKR 8,671

872.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$159 PKR 44.1K

474.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$101 PKR 27.8K

449.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$236 PKR 65.2K

152.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.5

-51.57%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gujranwala: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Gujranwala

$31 7.8% 89.7% $273

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Gujranwala

$97 24.2% 59.4% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Gujranwala

$66 16.5% 39.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Gujranwala

$125 31.2% 32.1% $30

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Gujranwala

$60 15.1% 23.7% $19

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Gujranwala

$5.3 * 1.3% 91.3% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Gujranwala

$15 3.9% 69.8% $36

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 $53.8 in Gujranwala. 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 153% 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 $13.00 in Gujranwala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $97.0 – making Gujranwala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Gujranwala

🕒 Local time

14:39 2:39 PM

12:39 12:39 PM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,027,001

💱 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 Gujranwala 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Gujranwala

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 Gujranwala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 135% more than Gujranwala, 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 $600 in Gujranwala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $13.00 in Gujranwala. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 146% 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 Gujranwala, where all-in costs run around $400, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Gujranwala 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. Gujranwala costs $400 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 Gujranwala. 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.