Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kostanay

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Kostanay: $925 and $962 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Kostanay
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Kostanay Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Kostanay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $962 in Kostanay, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Kostanay $962

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,452 in Kostanay, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Kostanay $1,452

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,943 in Kostanay, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Kostanay $1,943

Chiang Mai is about 4% cheaper than Kostanay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Kostanay are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Kostanay 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$5.60 ₸2,532

-59.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$28.73 ₸13.0K

-31.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.05 ₸3,186

-20.43%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.18 ₸988

-23.85%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.12 ₸506

-37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.86 ₸389

-63.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.45 ₸656

66.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.61 ₸1,181

42.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.22 ₸550

59.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.52 ₸235

171.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.05 ₸474

24.76%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.27 ₸1,026

-3.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$10.21 ₸4,614

63.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$5.72 ₸2,585

-51.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$8.33 ₸3,767

9.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.61 ₸730

48.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$2.37 ₸1,071

-56.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.84 ₸831

-11.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$2.32 ₸1,047

-35.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.58 ₸264

122.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.68 ₸308

63.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.21 ₸548

-40.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.88 ₸399

-39.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.51 ₸1,135

71.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$8.47 ₸3,827

111.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.10 ₸495

43.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.37 ₸1,071

19.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.31 ₸142

177.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.95 ₸430

27.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.14 ₸516

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$6.09 ₸2,755

-61.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.58 ₸263

148.28%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-31.56%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$30.5K ₸13.8M

-12.19%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$76.8 ₸34.7K

-18.86%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$10.97 ₸4,961

10.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$15.99 ₸7,229

24.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$48.26 ₸21.8K

-23.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$20.11 ₸9,091

-81.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$4.40 ₸1,989

47.73%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$209 ₸94.5K

278.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$6,498 ₸2.9M

127.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$96.3 ₸43.5K

-44.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$53.8 ₸24.3K

-54.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$107 ₸48.6K

-15.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$93.7 ₸42.3K

-24.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$402 ₸181.7K

13.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$321 ₸144.9K

-7.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$598 ₸270.1K

51.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$494 ₸223.4K

12.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,218 ₸550.5K

58.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$925 ₸418.0K

56.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$657 ₸297.0K

-10.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

18.5

-69.89%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Kostanay: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Kostanay

$321 33.4% 7.6% $23

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Kostanay

$202 21% 14.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Kostanay

$158 16.4% 46.1% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Kostanay

$104 10.8% 10% $9.4

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Kostanay

$113 11.7% 43.2% $34

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kostanay

$7.9 * 0.8% 87% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kostanay

$57 5.9% 14% $7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $402 in Kostanay. 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 11% higher in Kostanay, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $29.00 in Kostanay. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $202 in Kostanay – so Kostanay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇿 Kostanay

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

17:40 5:40 PM

1 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

264,446

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kostanay 4,880 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kostanay

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 Kostanay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kostanay costs about 4% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,443 in Kostanay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $29.00 in Kostanay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Kostanay – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Kostanay at $962. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kostanay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $962 in Kostanay. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kostanay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.