Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kajansi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kajansi: $413 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Kajansi
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Kajansi Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Kajansi

🇺🇬 Uganda

$413

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $413 in Kajansi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Kajansi $413

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $652 in Kajansi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Kajansi $652

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $892 in Kajansi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Kajansi $892

Chiang Mai costs about 127% more than Kajansi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Kajansi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Kajansi 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.54 UGX 10.4K

-11.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$24.87 UGX 102.3K

-22.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$7.43 UGX 30.5K

-24.76%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.51 UGX 10.3K

-31.47%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.35 UGX 1,451

82.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.28 UGX 1,156

17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.27 UGX 5,216

85.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$1.85 UGX 7,618

110.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.80 UGX 3,270

156.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.90 UGX 3,683

55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.31 UGX 5,398

-2.29%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.63 UGX 6,687

38.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$4.47 UGX 18.4K

278.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.47 UGX 18.4K

-38.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$4.91 UGX 20.2K

90.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.11 UGX 8,676

13.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.25 UGX 5,132

-19.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.30 UGX 5,342

23.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.23 UGX 5,054

23.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.26 UGX 5,174

1.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.23 UGX 5,054

-9.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.80 UGX 3,305

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.49 UGX 2,019

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.54 UGX 10.4K

70.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$7.39 UGX 30.4K

139.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.12 UGX 4,613

45.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.98 UGX 8,126

43.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.48 UGX 1,969

143.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.32 UGX 1,322

78.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$3.02 UGX 12.4K

-21.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.40 UGX 5,776

3.57%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$7,494 UGX 30.8M

173.21%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$7,318 UGX 30.1M

262.29%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$69.7 UGX 286.9K

-10.63%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$11.67 UGX 48.0K

5.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$35.41 UGX 145.7K

-43.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$7.37 UGX 30.3K

-8.96%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$254 UGX 1.0M

214.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$8,163 UGX 33.6M

81.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$13.86 UGX 57.0K

284.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$12.96 UGX 53.3K

93.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$32.32 UGX 133.0K

183.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$43.37 UGX 178.4K

69.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

20.75

-73.16%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kajansi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Kajansi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Kajansi

$148 35.9% 37.7% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Kajansi

$46 11.2% 57.9% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Kajansi

$117 28.3% 23.5% $22

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Kajansi

$85 20.6% 7.9% $6.3

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Kajansi

$2.1 * 0.5% 96.6% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Kajansi

$15 * 3.6% 71.3% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $25.00 in Kajansi. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $148 in Kajansi – so Kajansi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇬 Kajansi

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

19:29 7:29 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

135,600

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4,113 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD). 1 EUR = 4,625 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Kajansi 7,530 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kajansi

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 Kajansi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 127% more than Kajansi, 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 $620 in Kajansi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $25.00 in Kajansi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 61% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kajansi, where all-in costs run around $413, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Kajansi 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. Kajansi costs $413 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 Kajansi. 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.