Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kalush

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalush: $593 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Kalush
Learn more

Kalush Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Kalush

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $593 in Kalush, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Kalush $593

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $996 in Kalush, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Kalush $996

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,398 in Kalush, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Kalush $1,398

Chiang Mai costs about 58% more than Kalush, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Kalush are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kalush 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$6.44 ₴293

-66.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$12.04 ₴548

54.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$5.37 ₴245

4.28%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$0.95 ₴43.10

74.74%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$0.59 ₴27.08

10.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.42 ₴19.17

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$1.09 ₴49.60

112.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$1.67 ₴76.1

119.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$1.15 ₴52.4

75.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$0.62 ₴28.28

127.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$1.37 ₴62.5

1.46%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$1.42 ₴64.9

66.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$8.63 ₴393

91.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$4.37 ₴199

-38.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$7.09 ₴323

27.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$1.06 ₴48.49

126.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.55 ₴70.7

-32.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$1.57 ₴71.7

5.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$2.15 ₴97.9

-27.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$0.74 ₴33.84

67.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$0.44 ₴20.26

147.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$1.17 ₴53.4

-35.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.53 ₴24.14

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$3.14 ₴143

31.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$4.30 ₴196

316.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$0.83 ₴37.91

95.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

$1.43 ₴65.2

97.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.31 ₴14.31

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$15.05 ₴685

251.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$1.11 ₴50.8

6.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$0.35 ₴15.98

-51.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$4.25 ₴193

-57.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$1.33 ₴60.4

10.53%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$34.0K ₴1.5M

-38.18%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$21.4K ₴976.6K

23.63%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$84.3 ₴3,838

-25.77%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$4.77 ₴217

143.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$3.86 ₴176

425.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$26.19 ₴1,193

44.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$15.23 ₴694

-75.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$4.35 ₴198

49.66%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$280 ₴12.8K

159.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$4,084 ₴186.0K

305.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$53.7 ₴2,447

-0.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$36.34 ₴1,655

-31.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$74.6 ₴3,398

21.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$74.6 ₴3,398

-3.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$129 ₴5,880

272.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$87.5 ₴3,983

254.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$249 ₴11.4K

324.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$319 ₴14.5K

106.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$1,130 ₴51.5K

113.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$850 ₴38.7K

89.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$261 ₴11.9K

127.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

17.6

-68.35%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kalush: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Kalush

$87 14.7% 71.8% $222

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Kalush

$159 26.9% 32.6% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Kalush

$108 18.2% 0.6% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kalush

$93 15.7% 1.7% $1.6

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Kalush

$92 15.5% 20% $15

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Kalush

$19 3.2% 67.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Kalush

$35 5.9% 31.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $129 in Kalush. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $12 in Kalush. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $159 – making Kalush the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇦 Kalush

🕒 Local time

13:56 1:56 PM

08:56 8:56 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

67,559

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 UAH = 2.2 USD

100 UAH = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 45.54 UAH (100 UAH = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 51.12 UAH (100 UAH = 1.96 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kalush 7,330 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kalush

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 Kalush: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 58% more than Kalush, 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 $890 in Kalush. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalush, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $129 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $280 in Kalush. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

If budget matters most, go with Kalush. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.