Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Karak

For one person, living is cheaper in Karak: $434 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Karak
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Karak Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Karak

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$434

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $434 in Karak, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Karak $434

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $636 in Karak, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Karak $636

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $838 in Karak, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Karak $838

Chiang Mai costs about 113% more than Karak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Karak are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Karak 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$0.70 PKR 193

227.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$7.41 PKR 2,050

165.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$5.38 PKR 1,489

4.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 PKR 203

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 PKR 1,939

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$0.57 PKR 157

191.23%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.36 PKR 98.5

94.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.23 PKR 63.9

34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.93 PKR 258

109.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.53 PKR 145

166.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.05 PKR 292

24.76%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.10 PKR 304

98.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$1.78 PKR 492

835.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.93 PKR 810

-5.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$4.41 PKR 1,221

106.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$0.69 PKR 192

246.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.55 PKR 153

87.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.75 PKR 207

117.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.52 PKR 144

188.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.29 PKR 80.5

344.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.38 PKR 106

192.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.17 PKR 48.32

323.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.24 PKR 65.8

120.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.86 PKR 515

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 PKR 652

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.33 PKR 645

84.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.19 PKR 51.7

352.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$9.86 PKR 2,730

440.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.23 PKR 341

-1.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.70 PKR 194

-18.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$1.58 PKR 438

48.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.38 PKR 381

4.35%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

-4.78%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

10.25%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$101 PKR 27.9K

-38.08%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$6.03 PKR 1,669

100.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$16.84 PKR 4,660

18.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$14.67 PKR 4,061

152.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$8.25 PKR 2,282

-54.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$4.24 PKR 1,172

53.30%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$76.0 PKR 21.0K

942.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,060 PKR 293.3K

1297.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$26.54 PKR 7,346

102.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$35.24 PKR 9,753

-30.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$97.5 PKR 27.0K

-6.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$41.37 PKR 11.4K

71.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$128 PKR 35.5K

254.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$77.1 PKR 21.3K

286.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$258 PKR 71.3K

252.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$147 PKR 40.8K

276.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$922 PKR 255.1K

109.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$486 PKR 134.5K

197.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

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 17, 2026

Last update for Karak: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Karak

$77 17.8% 74.1% $221

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Karak

$74 17% 68.6% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Karak

$90 20.8% 16.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Karak

$124 28.5% 30.9% $29

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Karak

$31 7.1% 60.7% $48

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Karak

$15 3.5% 74.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Karak

$23 5.3% 53.8% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $128 in Karak. 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $7.00 in Karak. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $74.0 – making Karak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Karak

🕒 Local time

00:03 12:03 AM

22:03 10:03 PM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

51,149

💱 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

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Karak 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Karak

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 Karak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 113% more than Karak, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $651 in Karak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karak, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $76.0 in Karak. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 218% 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 Karak, where all-in costs run around $434, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Karak 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. Karak costs $434 versus $925 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 Karak. 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.