Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Layyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Layyah: $421 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Layyah
Learn more

Layyah Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Layyah

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$421

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $421 in Layyah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Layyah $421

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $646 in Layyah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Layyah $646

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $870 in Layyah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Layyah $870

Chiang Mai costs about 123% more than Layyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Layyah are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Layyah 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$1.80 PKR 497

25.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$10.98 PKR 3,040

74.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$5.50 PKR 1,523

1.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 PKR 697

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 PKR 618

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.46 PKR 405

17.81%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.46 PKR 129

39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.32 PKR 88.8

3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.78 PKR 215

162.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.65 PKR 180

115.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.25 PKR 345

2.40%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.21 PKR 335

85.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.58 PKR 2,376

97.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.49 PKR 689

10.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$4.04 PKR 1,119

131.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.06 PKR 292

126.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.65 PKR 180

55.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.60 PKR 166

168.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.62 PKR 173

145.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.28 PKR 76.4

357.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.51 PKR 140

117.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.44 PKR 123

63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.43 PKR 120

20.93%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.56 PKR 154

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 PKR 144

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 194

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$1.46 PKR 404

196.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.17 PKR 46.09

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$9.02 PKR 2,497

497.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.11 PKR 307

5.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.10 PKR 304

-48.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$2.87 PKR 795

-17.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.18 PKR 326

22.88%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

-13.19%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

12.67%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$67.5 PKR 18.7K

-7.69%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$5.59 PKR 1,547

119.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$14.62 PKR 4,047

36.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$14.81 PKR 4,100

155.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$8.79 PKR 2,432

-57.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$7.26 PKR 2,009

-7.58%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$26.51 PKR 7,337

2906.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$2,043 PKR 565.5K

625.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$18.90 PKR 5,231

181.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$26.90 PKR 7,446

-6.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$54.3 PKR 15.0K

68.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$29.47 PKR 8,156

149.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$121 PKR 33.4K

284.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$80.0 PKR 22.1K

280.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$253 PKR 69.9K

262.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$157 PKR 43.4K

251.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$896 PKR 248.1K

113.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$524 PKR 145.0K

174.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.83

-52.92%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Layyah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Layyah

$80 19% 73.7% $225

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Layyah

$98 23.3% 58.8% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Layyah

$58 13.8% 46.8% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Layyah

$88 20.8% 7.2% $6.8

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Layyah

$52 12.3% 34.7% $27

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Layyah

$16 3.9% 73.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Layyah

$29 7% 42.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $121 in Layyah. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $11.00 in Layyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $98.0 – making Layyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Layyah

🕒 Local time

07:32 7:32 AM

05:32 5:32 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

126,361

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, 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).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Layyah 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Layyah

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 Layyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 123% more than Layyah, 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 $632 in Layyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $26.51 in Layyah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 143% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Layyah, where all-in costs run around $421, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Layyah 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. Layyah costs $421 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 Layyah. 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.