Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Jaranwala

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaranwala: $501 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Jaranwala
Learn more

Jaranwala Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Jaranwala

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$501

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $501 in Jaranwala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Jaranwala $501

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $757 in Jaranwala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Jaranwala $757

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,013 in Jaranwala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Jaranwala $1,013

Chiang Mai costs about 87% more than Jaranwala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Jaranwala are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Jaranwala 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.07 PKR 572

9.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$16.40 PKR 4,538

16.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$5.89 PKR 1,629

-5.09%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 PKR 490

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 PKR 967

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.94 PKR 536

-11.34%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.41 PKR 113

56.10%

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

$0.84 PKR 233

144.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.55 PKR 153

154.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.28 PKR 354

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.11 PKR 307

102.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$6.18 PKR 1,711

174.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$3.42 PKR 948

-19.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$5.05 PKR 1,397

85.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.16 PKR 320

106.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.81 PKR 224

24.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.22 PKR 338

31.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.52 PKR 145

192.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.38 PKR 106

236.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.49 PKR 136

126.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.33 PKR 91.4

118.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.42 PKR 117

23.81%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 PKR 519

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 PKR 335

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 PKR 644

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.01 PKR 557

115.42%

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

$0.20 PKR 55.1

325.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$10.80 PKR 2,988

399.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.88 PKR 244

32.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.37 PKR 103

54.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$1.65 PKR 458

43.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.20 PKR 332

20.83%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$18.6K PKR 5.1M

10.20%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$24.2K PKR 6.7M

9.63%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$112 PKR 31.0K

-44.42%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$5.81 PKR 1,608

111.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$18.92 PKR 5,236

5.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$16.25 PKR 4,497

133.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$7.92 PKR 2,193

-52.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$4.41 PKR 1,220

52.15%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$49.43 PKR 13.7K

1512.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$1,033 PKR 285.8K

1336.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$17.25 PKR 4,774

208.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$32.47 PKR 8,986

-22.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$91.1 PKR 25.2K

0.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$36.98 PKR 10.2K

98.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$110 PKR 30.5K

321.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$83.4 PKR 23.1K

265.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$271 PKR 75.1K

237.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$162 PKR 45.0K

240.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$973 PKR 269.4K

96.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$420 PKR 116.2K

242.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

22.81

-75.58%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Jaranwala: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Jaranwala

$83 16.7% 72.6% $221

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Jaranwala

$101 20.2% 57.6% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Jaranwala

$80 16% 26.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Jaranwala

$137 27.4% 44.7% $42

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Jaranwala

$60 12% 24.1% $19

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Jaranwala

$14 2.9% 76.6% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Jaranwala

$25 5% 51.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $110 in Jaranwala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Jaranwala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $101 – making Jaranwala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Jaranwala

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

150,380

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Jaranwala 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Jaranwala

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 Jaranwala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 87% more than Jaranwala, 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 $751 in Jaranwala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jaranwala, 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 $49.43 in Jaranwala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 136% 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 Jaranwala, where all-in costs run around $501, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Jaranwala 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. Jaranwala costs $501 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 Jaranwala. 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.