Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kushtia

For one person, living is cheaper in Kushtia: $381 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Kushtia
Learn more

Kushtia Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Kushtia

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $381 in Kushtia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kushtia $381

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $616 in Kushtia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kushtia $616

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $850 in Kushtia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kushtia $850

Chiang Mai costs about 145% more than Kushtia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Kushtia are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kushtia 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$2.43 ৳302

-7.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$13.14 ৳1,629

44.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.86 ৳603

14.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 ৳617

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 ৳506

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$2.33 ৳289

-28.33%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.30 ৳36.99

113.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.14 ৳17.47

121.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.58 ৳72.5

236.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.63 ৳78.3

128.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$0.72 ৳88.8

84.72%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.22 ৳151

86.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$9.21 ৳1,142

78.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$3.24 ৳402

-14.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$6.67 ৳827

39.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$2.71 ৳336

-13.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$0.88 ৳109

10.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$2.42 ৳300

-33.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.60 ৳74.5

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$0.23 ৳28.46

456.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$0.49 ৳60.5

124.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.33 ৳41.47

115.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.30 ৳37.48

63.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.98 ৳1,486

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.23 ৳649

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 ৳803

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.15 ৳390

31.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.43 ৳53.9

102.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.18 ৳146

-1.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.39 ৳47.85

35.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$3.19 ৳395

-24.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.16 ৳144

25.00%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$29.8K ৳3.7M

-29.37%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$32.1K ৳4.0M

-16.03%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$47.60 ৳5,903

30.61%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$4.36 ৳541

179.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$11.25 ৳1,395

78.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$14.61 ৳1,812

155.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.34 ৳538

49.54%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$25.96 ৳3,220

2735.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$1,184 ৳146.9K

1146.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$16.00 ৳1,984

233.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$19.24 ৳2,386

28.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$46.50 ৳5,767

96.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$36.64 ৳4,543

96.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$89.6 ৳11.1K

438.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$50.9 ৳6,317

506.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$167 ৳20.7K

501.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$115 ৳14.2K

451.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$719 ৳89.2K

228.55%

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

10.67

-47.80%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kushtia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kushtia

$51 13.4% 83.5% $258

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kushtia

$122 32% 48% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kushtia

$53 14% 51% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kushtia

$63 16.6% 33.1% $31

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kushtia

$64 16.7% 17.8% $14

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kushtia

$4.9 * 1.3% 92.1% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kushtia

$23 6.1% 53.7% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $90 in Kushtia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $13 in Kushtia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $122 – making Kushtia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇩 Kushtia

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

07:52 7:52 AM

1 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

108,423

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.06 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, 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).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.06 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.19 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Kushtia 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kushtia

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 Kushtia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 145% more than Kushtia, 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 $572 in Kushtia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kushtia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $90 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $13 in Kushtia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 92% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kushtia, where all-in costs run around $381, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Kushtia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kushtia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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