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 $872 per month in Chiang Mai vs $693 in Kharkiv, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,337 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,090 in Kharkiv, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,802 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,486 in Kharkiv, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 26% more than Kharkiv, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Kharkiv are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Kharkiv 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.01 ฿64.5

$7.07 ₴311

-71.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.23 ฿584

$27.47 ₴1,208

-33.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ฿245

$6.06 ₴266

26.24%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿61.5

$1.28 ₴56.3

50.00%

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

$0.84 ฿26.97

$0.65 ₴28.56

29.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.42

$0.43 ₴19.02

-16.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 ฿70.2

$0.97 ₴42.87

125.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿121

$1.48 ₴65.3

156.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿52.5

$1.05 ₴46.26

56.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿52.0

$0.63 ₴27.51

157.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 ฿36.98

$1.27 ₴55.8

-9.45%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿62.2

$1.58 ₴69.4

22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 ฿511

$7.86 ₴345

102.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ฿99.5

$3.93 ₴173

-21.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ฿355

$6.45 ₴284

71.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿86.8

$0.84 ₴37.11

222.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿37.80

$1.62 ₴71.1

-27.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿54.7

$1.92 ₴84.4

-10.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$2.16 ₴94.9

-25.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿44.66

$0.65 ₴28.74

113.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ฿36.81

$0.56 ₴24.45

105.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿22.83

$1.04 ₴45.67

-31.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿17.65

$0.55 ₴23.99

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 ฿146

$2.62 ₴115

74.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.87 ฿605

$4.53 ₴199

316.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$0.76 ₴33.30

139.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ฿103

$1.26 ₴55.4

154.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.24

$0.38 ₴16.57

131.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.89 ฿606

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.30

$1.43 ₴62.7

-1.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 ฿41.71

$0.25 ₴11.00

420.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 ฿263

$2.95 ₴130

177.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.29

$1.33 ₴58.4

-7.52%

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

$21.2K ฿678.9K

$26.7K ₴1.2M

-20.83%

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

$22.3K ฿715.3K

$23.4K ₴1.0M

-4.68%

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

$69.9 ฿2,240

$115 ₴5,054

-39.21%

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

$14.07 ฿451

$5.55 ₴244

153.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.70 ฿567

$6.19 ₴272

185.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.41 ฿1,328

$25.27 ₴1,111

63.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 ฿215

$16.02 ₴704

-58.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ฿184

$4.86 ₴214

18.11%

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

$299 ฿9,593

$358 ₴15.7K

-16.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿481.2K

$3,171 ₴139.4K

373.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,758

$56.5 ₴2,484

-2.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.35 ฿845

$40.02 ₴1,760

-34.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 ฿2,714

$81.8 ₴3,599

3.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,236

$102 ₴4,497

-31.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 ฿13.7K

$184 ₴8,074

132.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ฿7,718

$130 ₴5,707

85.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.0K

$368 ₴16.2K

120.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.0K

$246 ₴10.8K

102.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 ฿64.8K

$1,062 ₴46.7K

90.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,524 ฿48.9K

$590 ₴25.9K

158.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$639 ฿20.5K

$483 ₴21.2K

32.41%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Kharkiv: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $427 in Chiang Mai versus $184 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 32% 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 in Chiang Mai versus $27 in Kharkiv. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Chiang Mai vs $152 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 26% 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 $1,308 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,040 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 62% 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 $872 in Chiang Mai and $693 in Kharkiv, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kharkiv costs $693 versus $872 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.