Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kericho

For one person, living is cheaper in Kericho: $489 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Kericho
Learn more

Kericho Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Kericho

🇰🇪 Kenya

$489

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $489 in Kericho, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kericho $489

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $767 in Kericho, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kericho $767

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,044 in Kericho, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kericho $1,044

Chiang Mai costs about 91% more than Kericho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Kericho are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kericho 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.27 KES 295

-1.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$20.70 KES 2,687

-8.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.37 KES 827

-12.87%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.56 KES 333

-34.77%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$0.36 KES 47.30

77.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$0.62 KES 80.2

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.26 KES 294

4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.26 KES 163

190.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.59 KES 76.6

230.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$0.48 KES 62.0

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$1.25 KES 163

6.40%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.64 KES 212

39.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.76 KES 1,396

52.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$6.71 KES 871

-58.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$4.19 KES 543

122.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.38 KES 439

-30.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$1.02 KES 132

-4.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.09 KES 272

-23.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.10 KES 143

36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$0.68 KES 87.8

88.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$0.72 KES 93.2

52.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$0.30 KES 38.81

136.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.61 KES 78.6

-19.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.55 KES 460

16.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$11.41 KES 1,482

53.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.29 KES 298

-29.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.79 KES 362

-0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$1.53 KES 199

-24.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$1.55 KES 201

-65.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$2.92 KES 379

-17.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$1.60 KES 208

-9.38%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$19.2K KES 2.5M

9.70%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$22.0K KES 2.9M

22.33%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$56.0 KES 7,265

11.08%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$14.96 KES 1,941

-18.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$35.16 KES 4,564

-42.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.62 KES 989

-14.83%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$274 KES 35.5K

168.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

19.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$27.67 KES 3,592

92.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$29.30 KES 3,803

-15.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$69.5 KES 9,015

31.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$59.3 KES 7,691

21.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

14.71

-62.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kericho: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kericho

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kericho

$189 38.7% 19.2% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kericho

$84 17.1% 23.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kericho

$106 21.7% 12.3% $12

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kericho

$86 17.5% 10.6% $8.2

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kericho

$9.3 * 1.9% 84.9% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kericho

$15 * 3.1% 69.7% $35

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 in Chiang Mai versus $21 in Kericho. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $189 in Kericho – so Kericho wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇪 Kericho

🕒 Local time

23:49 11:49 PM

19:49 7:49 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

150,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kericho 7,260 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kericho

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 Kericho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 91% more than Kericho, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $734 in Kericho. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $21 in Kericho. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $489 in Kericho, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $489 in Kericho to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.