Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Gujrat

For one person, living is cheaper in Gujrat: $396 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Gujrat
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$396
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $396 in Gujrat, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $925
  • Gujrat $396

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $597 in Gujrat, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,414
  • Gujrat $597

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $797 in Gujrat, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,903
  • Gujrat $797

Chiang Mai costs about 134% more than Gujrat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Gujrat are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Gujrat 71% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Gujrat
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.29 ฿76.5
$1.83 PKR 506
25.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.64 ฿656
$10.82 PKR 2,995
81.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.61 ฿188
$5.36 PKR 1,482
4.66%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.58 PKR 715
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.11 PKR 584
-
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿55.6
$0.71 PKR 196
133.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ฿23.40
$0.28 PKR 76.9
150.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.24
$0.16 PKR 44.17
93.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.41 ฿80.4
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.71 ฿124
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Gujrat
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.3
$0.83 PKR 230
134.94%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.03
$0.51 PKR 142
176.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.31 ฿43.62
$1.20 PKR 331
9.17%
Eggs
$2.18 ฿72.9
$1.18 PKR 328
84.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.65 ฿556
$5.34 PKR 1,478
211.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.76 ฿92.2
$2.51 PKR 694
9.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.11 ฿304
$4.01 PKR 1,109
127.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.39 ฿80.0
$1.05 PKR 290
127.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.03 ฿34.26
$0.61 PKR 169
68.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.63 ฿54.4
$0.61 PKR 169
167.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.0
$0.63 PKR 176
138.10%
Potato (1kg)
$1.29 ฿43.13
$0.15 PKR 42.55
760.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 ฿37.03
$0.34 PKR 94.9
226.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 ฿24.08
$0.16 PKR 43.32
350.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 ฿17.59
$0.43 PKR 119
23.26%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.57 PKR 157
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.57 PKR 157
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.69 PKR 192
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.31 ฿144
$1.48 PKR 410
191.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.95 ฿600
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 ฿52.9
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.0
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Gujrat
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.86 ฿28.86
$0.17 PKR 46.94
405.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.3 ฿1,780
$9.90 PKR 2,739
438.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.21 ฿40.29
$0.74 PKR 205
63.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 ฿18.99
$1.06 PKR 293
-46.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.35 ฿78.6
$2.74 PKR 759
-14.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 ฿47.96
$0.90 PKR 250
60.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K ฿692.8K
$23.2K PKR 6.4M
-10.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K ฿895.7K
$23.4K PKR 6.5M
14.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Gujrat
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.3 ฿2,083
$66.7 PKR 18.5K
-6.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.11 ฿405
$5.69 PKR 1,576
112.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.94 ฿666
$14.22 PKR 3,936
40.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Gujrat
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.07 ฿1,239
$13.28 PKR 3,676
179.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.78 ฿126
$7.77 PKR 2,152
-51.35%
Cinema Ticket
$6.50 ฿217
$7.27 PKR 2,012
-10.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Gujrat
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$793 ฿26.5K
$26.09 PKR 7,221
2938.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿494.9K
$1,985 PKR 549.5K
645.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Gujrat
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 ฿1,796
$19.34 PKR 5,352
177.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.62 ฿823
$26.32 PKR 7,285
-6.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.9 ฿3,036
$54.8 PKR 15.2K
65.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.1 ฿2,378
$29.58 PKR 8,186
140.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Gujrat
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$455 ฿15.2K
$123 PKR 34.2K
268.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$298 ฿9,954
$80.4 PKR 22.2K
270.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$908 ฿30.4K
$241 PKR 66.8K
276.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$554 ฿18.5K
$139 PKR 38.6K
297.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,931 ฿64.5K
$884 PKR 244.8K
118.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,445 ฿48.3K
$473 PKR 130.8K
205.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Gujrat
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$591 ฿19.7K
$252 PKR 69.7K
134.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11
-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Gujrat: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$298
Gujrat
$80 73% $217
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$235
Gujrat
$85 63.9% $150
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Gujrat
$59 45.9% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Gujrat
$87 8.3% $7.8
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$79
Gujrat
$41 47.9% $38
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Gujrat
$17 72.7% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Gujrat
$28 44.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $123 in Gujrat. 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 135% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $11.00 in Gujrat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $85.0 – making Gujrat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇵🇰 Gujrat
🕒 Local time
00:03 12:03 AM
22:03 10:03 PM
2 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
390,533
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Gujrat 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Gujrat

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 Gujrat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Gujrat?
Chiang Mai costs about 134% more than Gujrat, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Gujrat?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $594 in Gujrat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Gujrat?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Gujrat, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Gujrat?
Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $26.09 in Gujrat. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Gujrat?
Groceries cost about 177% 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.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Chiang Mai or in Gujrat?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Gujrat, where all-in costs run around $396, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Gujrat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or Gujrat?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Gujrat costs $396 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Gujrat?
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.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Gujrat?
If budget matters most, go with Gujrat. 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.

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