Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Jhang

For one person, living is cheaper in Jhang: $506 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Jhang
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Jhang Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Jhang

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $506 in Jhang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Jhang $506

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $762 in Jhang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Jhang $762

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,017 in Jhang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Jhang $1,017

Chiang Mai costs about 85% more than Jhang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Jhang are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Jhang 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$2.47 PKR 683

-13.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$14.51 PKR 4,013

28.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$5.88 PKR 1,625

-4.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 PKR 1,015

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 PKR 1,537

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.63 PKR 729

-36.88%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$0.40 PKR 111

62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.24 PKR 66.0

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$0.95 PKR 264

112.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$0.75 PKR 207

88.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$1.23 PKR 340

13.01%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$1.18 PKR 327

100.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$6.14 PKR 1,698

169.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$2.56 PKR 707

4.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$4.92 PKR 1,362

83.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.18 PKR 327

103.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$0.70 PKR 194

48.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$0.90 PKR 249

84.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$0.59 PKR 164

164.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$0.29 PKR 78.9

327.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$0.38 PKR 106

186.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$0.47 PKR 131

61.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.35 PKR 96.8

45.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.07 PKR 295

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 PKR 171

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 PKR 471

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.12 PKR 588

94.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$0.16 PKR 43.82

481.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$9.63 PKR 2,665

449.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$0.92 PKR 256

28.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.70 PKR 194

-75.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.85 PKR 512

-2.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$1.40 PKR 388

5.00%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$18.2K PKR 5.0M

15.49%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$24.4K PKR 6.7M

8.74%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$124 PKR 34.4K

-49.67%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$5.63 PKR 1,559

106.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$16.19 PKR 4,478

25.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$14.74 PKR 4,079

156.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$8.31 PKR 2,300

-55.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$4.28 PKR 1,184

52.10%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$74.6 PKR 20.6K

874.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$2,030 PKR 561.6K

716.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$17.99 PKR 4,976

197.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$27.98 PKR 7,740

-11.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$72.3 PKR 20.0K

25.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$33.23 PKR 9,194

116.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$137 PKR 37.9K

251.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$85.1 PKR 23.6K

264.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$266 PKR 73.5K

298.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$181 PKR 50.1K

263.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$833 PKR 230.4K

190.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$509 PKR 140.8K

216.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

14.05

-60.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Jhang: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Jhang

$85 16.8% 72.5% $225

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Jhang

$97 19.2% 59% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Jhang

$68 13.5% 37.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Jhang

$146 28.9% 54.7% $52

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Jhang

$72 14.1% 6.6% $5

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Jhang

$15 2.9% 74.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Jhang

$23 4.6% 54.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $137 in Jhang. 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 in Chiang Mai versus $15 in Jhang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $97 – making Jhang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Jhang

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

04:42 4:42 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

414,131

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 4, 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

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Jhang 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Jhang

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 Jhang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 85% more than Jhang, 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 $759 in Jhang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jhang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $75 in Jhang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 144% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Jhang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Jhang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 46% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.