Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kerman

For one person, living is cheaper in Kerman: $508 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Kerman
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Kerman Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Kerman

🇮🇷 Iran

$508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $508 in Kerman, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Kerman $508

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $874 in Kerman, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Kerman $874

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,239 in Kerman, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Kerman $1,239

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

Both Chiang Mai and Kerman are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Kerman 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$4.10 $4.10

-44.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$17.83 $17.83

7.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$3.92 $3.92

42.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.71 $0.71

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 $1.06

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.13 $1.13

52.21%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.70 $0.70

-8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.97 $0.97

-65.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.56 $0.56

266.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.52 $0.52

169.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$2.71 $2.71

-52.77%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.15 $1.15

95.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$4.38 $4.38

286.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$1.99 $1.99

37.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$10.11 $10.11

-7.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$0.63 $0.63

280.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.02 $2.02

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.83 $0.83

93.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.57 $0.57

166.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.39 $0.39

228.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.39 $0.39

184.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.56 $0.56

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.20 $0.20

160.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.84 $0.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 $1.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$1.46 $1.46

196.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.13 $0.13

553.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$9.47 $9.47

469.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.41 $0.41

185.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.32 $0.32

78.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$2.42 $2.42

-2.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.08 $0.08

1712.50%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$46.2K $46.2K

-55.68%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$41.7K $41.7K

-36.49%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$11.11 $11.11

461.03%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$1.60 $1.60

666.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$3.67 $3.67

444.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$12.79 $12.79

196.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$13.77 $13.77

-72.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$1.95 $1.95

244.10%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$107 $107

644.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$2,436 $2,436

508.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$22.35 $22.35

138.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$65.2 $65.2

-61.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$128 $128

-28.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$57.0 $57.0

28.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$338 $338

37.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$168 $168

81.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$835 $835

9.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$395 $395

40.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$914 $914

109.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$507 $507

183.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$201 $201

196.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.3

-77.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kerman: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Kerman

$168 33.1% 44.9% $137

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Kerman

$108 21.2% 54.7% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Kerman

$123 24.1% 12% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Kerman

$16 3.2% 82.7% $78

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Kerman

$65 12.8% 18% $14

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Kerman

$12 2.4% 80.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Kerman

$17 3.3% 67.5% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $338 in Kerman. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 196% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $18.00 in Kerman. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $108 – making Kerman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇷 Kerman

🕒 Local time

05:05 5:05 AM

01:35 1:35 AM

3 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

537,718

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Kerman 4,400 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kerman

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 Kerman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 85% more than Kerman, 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 $762 in Kerman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $107 in Kerman. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 121% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kerman, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Kerman 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. Kerman costs $508 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 Kerman. 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.