Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kharkiv Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kharkiv

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $670 in Kharkiv, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,073 in Kharkiv, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,476 in Kharkiv, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 28% more than Kharkiv, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Kharkiv are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Kharkiv 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$7.08 ₴316

-72.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$26.72 ₴1,194

-31.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$5.94 ₴265

25.93%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.29 ₴57.5

56.59%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.60 ₴26.95

41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.44 ₴19.69

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$0.98 ₴43.57

118.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$1.53 ₴68.5

134.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.06 ₴47.17

55.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.62 ₴27.59

153.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$1.27 ₴56.7

-6.30%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.63 ₴72.6

19.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$7.93 ₴354

104.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$3.92 ₴175

-23.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$6.60 ₴295

65.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$0.86 ₴38.52

215.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$1.62 ₴72.2

-27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$1.90 ₴84.9

-11.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$2.26 ₴101

-29.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.67 ₴29.86

105.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.56 ₴25.19

114.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$1.03 ₴46.13

-34.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.54 ₴23.94

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$2.54 ₴113

82.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$4.41 ₴197

299.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$0.75 ₴33.62

148.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.32 ₴58.8

150.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.37 ₴16.58

137.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$1.47 ₴65.6

-7.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.23 ₴10.26

482.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$2.88 ₴129

185.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$1.40 ₴62.5

-12.86%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$27.6K ₴1.2M

-22.59%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$23.9K ₴1.1M

-5.67%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$115 ₴5,119

-38.33%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$5.38 ₴240

160.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$6.27 ₴280

178.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$25.27 ₴1,129

66.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$16.00 ₴715

-57.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$4.81 ₴215

23.08%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$355 ₴15.9K

-13.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$3,213 ₴143.5K

363.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$56.6 ₴2,529

-1.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$40.07 ₴1,790

-34.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$83.2 ₴3,715

-0.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$101 ₴4,515

-30.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$183 ₴8,186

135.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$134 ₴5,974

78.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$365 ₴16.3K

125.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$243 ₴10.9K

110.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$1,081 ₴48.3K

77.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$572 ₴25.5K

156.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$532 ₴23.8K

8.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-70.59%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kharkiv: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $183 in Kharkiv. 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 9% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $27.00 in Kharkiv. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $153 in Kharkiv – so Kharkiv wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Kharkiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 28% more than Kharkiv, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,005 in Kharkiv. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $27.00 in Kharkiv. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $670 in Kharkiv, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kharkiv costs $670 versus $861 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 Kharkiv. 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.