Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kyzyl-Kiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyzyl-Kiya: $363 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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 Kyzyl-Kiya
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Kyzyl-Kiya Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Kyzyl-Kiya

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Kyzyl-Kiya

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 Kyzyl-Kiya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $363 in Kyzyl-Kiya, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Kyzyl-Kiya $363

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $598 in Kyzyl-Kiya, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Kyzyl-Kiya $598

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $833 in Kyzyl-Kiya, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Kyzyl-Kiya $833

Chiang Mai costs about 155% more than Kyzyl-Kiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Kyzyl-Kiya are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Kyzyl-Kiya 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$2.81 KGS 245

-18.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$22.97 KGS 2,009

-14.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$9.33 KGS 816

-39.87%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.89 KGS 165

-12.17%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.32 KGS 28.43

118.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.16 KGS 13.65

93.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.12 KGS 97.9

115.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$1.24 KGS 108

199.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.77 KGS 67.0

153.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.33 KGS 28.55

327.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.16 KGS 101

12.93%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.41 KGS 123

54.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$4.94 KGS 432

237.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.06 KGS 180

33.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$6.82 KGS 596

33.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$0.60 KGS 52.2

298.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.50 KGS 131

-31.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.41 KGS 123

15.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.45 KGS 39.27

233.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.47 KGS 40.85

174.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.43 KGS 37.46

158.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.62 KGS 54.3

16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.52 KGS 45.67

1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.03 KGS 177

112.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$5.23 KGS 457

243.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.16 KGS 102

36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.65 KGS 144

72.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.36 KGS 31.11

138.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.24 KGS 21.07

404.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.37 KGS 32.05

54.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$7.79 KGS 681

-69.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.69 KGS 60.5

108.70%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$18.4K KGS 1.6M

12.38%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$17.0K KGS 1.5M

57.39%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$39.87 KGS 3,487

56.33%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$2.62 KGS 229

362.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$8.92 KGS 781

123.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$40.06 KGS 3,505

-7.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$1.70 KGS 149

282.35%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$170 KGS 14.8K

367.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,894 KGS 165.7K

681.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$18.95 KGS 1,658

183.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$36.13 KGS 3,160

-31.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$53.1 KGS 4,646

71.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$34.75 KGS 3,040

104.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$393 KGS 34.4K

390.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$346 KGS 30.2K

317.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$427 KGS 37.3K

38.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Kyzyl-Kiya: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Kyzyl-Kiya

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Kyzyl-Kiya

$117 32.3% 50.2% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Kyzyl-Kiya

$64 17.7% 40.5% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Kyzyl-Kiya

$51 14.2% 45.5% $43

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Kyzyl-Kiya

$83 22.9% 5.7% $4.5

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kyzyl-Kiya

$3.5 * 1% 94.2% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kyzyl-Kiya

$43 12% 13.2% $6.6

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 38% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $23.00 in Kyzyl-Kiya. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $117 in Kyzyl-Kiya – so Kyzyl-Kiya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇬 Kyzyl-Kiya

🕒 Local time

09:51 9:51 AM

08:51 8:51 AM

1 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

51,300

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 87.48 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 98.35 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Kyzyl-Kiya 3,500 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kyzyl-Kiya

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 Kyzyl-Kiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 155% more than Kyzyl-Kiya, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $544 in Kyzyl-Kiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $23.00 in Kyzyl-Kiya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 101% 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kyzyl-Kiya, where all-in costs run around $363, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Kyzyl-Kiya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kyzyl-Kiya costs $363 versus $925 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 Kyzyl-Kiya. 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.