Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kirtipur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirtipur: $348 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
17

Cost of Living Index in Kirtipur
Learn more

Kirtipur Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Kirtipur

🇳🇵 Nepal

$348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $348 in Kirtipur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kirtipur $348

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $572 in Kirtipur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kirtipur $572

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $796 in Kirtipur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kirtipur $796

Chiang Mai costs about 169% more than Kirtipur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Kirtipur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kirtipur 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$1.92 NPR 292

16.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$20.61 NPR 3,129

-7.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$7.27 NPR 1,104

-23.66%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$1.57 NPR 239

6.37%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.52 NPR 79.5

23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.16 NPR 24.51

93.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$3.16 NPR 479

-25.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$3.26 NPR 495

12.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.68 NPR 103

186.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.58 NPR 88.5

148.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$0.90 NPR 137

47.78%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.73 NPR 263

31.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$7.29 NPR 1,107

125.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$3.16 NPR 480

-12.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$6.02 NPR 913

54.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$2.02 NPR 306

16.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.16 NPR 176

-16.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.45 NPR 220

10.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.54 NPR 82.7

177.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$0.39 NPR 58.7

228.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$0.50 NPR 76.2

120.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.45 NPR 68.9

57.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.24 NPR 36.61

104.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.54 NPR 385

62.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$8.05 NPR 1,222

117.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$2.29 NPR 348

-29.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.96 NPR 449

-6.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.80 NPR 273

-35.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$1.16 NPR 177

-54.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$3.23 NPR 491

-25.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.39 NPR 211

4.32%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$36.4K NPR 5.5M

-42.07%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$36.4K NPR 5.5M

-26.08%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$31.40 NPR 4,767

97.99%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$3.60 NPR 546

238.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$8.95 NPR 1,359

124.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.90 NPR 440

123.79%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$65.1 NPR 9,886

1030.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$5,519 NPR 837.7K

167.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$23.72 NPR 3,601

125.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$26.67 NPR 4,048

-7.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$63.3 NPR 9,613

44.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$29.39 NPR 4,462

144.78%

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 ฿21.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

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

9.98

-44.19%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kirtipur: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kirtipur

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kirtipur

$145 41.7% 38.2% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kirtipur

$64 18.5% 40.7% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kirtipur

$44 12.6% 53.5% $51

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kirtipur

$81 23.3% 4.6% $3.5

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kirtipur

$7.6 * 2.2% 87.6% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kirtipur

$5.8 * 1.7% 88.5% $44

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 Kirtipur. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $145 in Kirtipur – so Kirtipur wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇵 Kirtipur

🕒 Local time

11:21 11:21 AM

10:06 10:06 AM

1 h 15 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

65,602

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 170 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.88 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Kirtipur 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kirtipur

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 Kirtipur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 169% more than Kirtipur, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $522 in Kirtipur. 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 Kirtipur. 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 the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $348 in Kirtipur to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.