Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Islamabad: $599 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $599 in Islamabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Islamabad $599

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $930 in Islamabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Islamabad $930

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,261 in Islamabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Islamabad $1,261

Chiang Mai costs about 57% more than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Islamabad are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Islamabad 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$3.63 PKR 1,004

-37.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$23.40 PKR 6,478

-18.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$5.54 PKR 1,534

0.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.64 PKR 730

-34.85%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.32 PKR 89.6

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.23 PKR 63.7

43.48%

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

$0.94 PKR 259

118.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.72 PKR 200

94.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.30 PKR 361

-1.54%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.22 PKR 339

84.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$6.05 PKR 1,674

180.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$3.09 PKR 855

-11.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$5.35 PKR 1,482

74.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.26 PKR 350

90.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.87 PKR 241

16.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.04 PKR 288

54.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.53 PKR 146

186.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.29 PKR 81.2

341.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.36 PKR 99.4

208.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.28 PKR 76.4

157.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.39 PKR 108

33.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 PKR 743

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.24 PKR 619

93.30%

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 43.07

431.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$21.34 PKR 5,905

152.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.24 PKR 344

-5.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.74 PKR 204

-22.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$1.60 PKR 442

48.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.37 PKR 378

5.84%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

-62.43%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

11.13%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$103 PKR 28.6K

-39.64%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$5.99 PKR 1,658

104.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$17.15 PKR 4,746

16.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$28.20 PKR 7,806

34.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$8.47 PKR 2,344

-55.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$4.43 PKR 1,226

51.47%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

953.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

196.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$25.72 PKR 7,118

107.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$34.48 PKR 9,543

-27.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

-4.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

77.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$276 PKR 76.5K

67.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$139 PKR 38.3K

119.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$572 PKR 158.2K

60.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$270 PKR 74.9K

104.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

17.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$836 PKR 231.5K

71.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$380 PKR 105.2K

56.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.08

-57.42%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Islamabad

$139 23.1% 54.5% $166

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Islamabad

$102 17% 57.1% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Islamabad

$89 14.8% 19% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Islamabad

$126 21.1% 33.6% $32

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Islamabad

$80 13.3% 0.6% $0.5

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Islamabad

$27 4.5% 56.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Islamabad

$37 6.2% 27.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $276 in Islamabad. 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 57% 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 $23.00 in Islamabad. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $102 in Islamabad – so Islamabad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🕒 Local time

07:32 7:32 AM

05:32 5:32 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,009,832 Capital

💱 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 Islamabad 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Islamabad

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 Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 57% more than Islamabad, 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 $899 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Islamabad, 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 $75.7 in Islamabad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 133% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Islamabad, where all-in costs run around $599, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Islamabad 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. Islamabad costs $599 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 Islamabad. 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.