Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kyzylorda

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyzylorda: $656 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Kyzylorda
Learn more

Kyzylorda Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Kyzylorda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $661 in Kyzylorda, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Kyzylorda $661

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,033 in Kyzylorda, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Kyzylorda $1,033

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,404 in Kyzylorda, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Kyzylorda $1,404

Chiang Mai costs about 42% more than Kyzylorda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Kyzylorda are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Kyzylorda 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$8.82 ₸3,988

-74.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$33.29 ₸15.0K

-41.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.33 ₸1,055

-28.76%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.29 ₸584

-45.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.46 ₸206

-32.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.42 ₸1,094

-0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.36 ₸1,519

10.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.35 ₸610

44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.26 ₸118

442.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.99 ₸449

32.32%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.38 ₸625

57.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$1.98 ₸894

39.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$4.71 ₸2,128

93.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.40 ₸632

70.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$2.08 ₸942

-50.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.92 ₸869

-15.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$2.48 ₸1,123

-39.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.31 ₸593

-1.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.66 ₸298

68.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.37 ₸617

-47.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.93 ₸422

-43.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.47 ₸1,116

74.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$2.46 ₸1,114

629.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.20 ₸544

31.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.84 ₸830

54.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.17 ₸77.1

405.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.92 ₸418

31.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.76 ₸341

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.58 ₸264

148.28%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$28.7K ₸13.0M

-27.69%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$30.8K ₸13.9M

-13.01%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$73.8 ₸33.4K

-15.52%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$8.98 ₸4,059

34.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$15.34 ₸6,935

29.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$33.46 ₸15.1K

10.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$17.73 ₸8,016

-78.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$6.00 ₸2,713

8.33%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$44.87 ₸20.3K

19.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$55.0 ₸24.9K

-55.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$52.7 ₸23.8K

72.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$66.1 ₸29.9K

7.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$192 ₸86.8K

137.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$158 ₸71.4K

88.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$290 ₸130.9K

213.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$221 ₸100.1K

150.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$331 ₸149.4K

78.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-75.78%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Kyzylorda: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Kyzylorda

$158 24.1% 47% $140

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Kyzylorda

$126 * 19.2% 46.6% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Kyzylorda

$98 15% 9% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Kyzylorda

$98 15% 3.9% $3.7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Kyzylorda

$124 * 19% 58.3% $46

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kyzylorda

$5.4 * 0.8% 91.1% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kyzylorda

$45 6.9% 9.2% $4.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $188 in Kyzylorda. 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 78% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $34.00 in Kyzylorda. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $128 in Kyzylorda – so Kyzylorda wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇿 Kyzylorda

🕒 Local time

17:00 5:00 PM

15:00 3:00 PM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

206,719

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kyzylorda 4,240 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kyzylorda

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 Kyzylorda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 42% more than Kyzylorda, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $992 in Kyzylorda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kyzylorda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $938 in Chiang Mai and $661 in Kyzylorda. That's a gap of about 42%.

Groceries cost about 86% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kyzylorda, where all-in costs run around $661, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Kyzylorda 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. Kyzylorda costs $661 versus $938 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 Kyzylorda. 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.