Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Lira

For one person, living is cheaper in Lira: $389 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Lira
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Lira Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Lira

🇺🇬 Uganda

$389

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $389 in Lira, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Lira $389

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $614 in Lira, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Lira $614

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $839 in Lira, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Lira $839

Chiang Mai costs about 141% more than Lira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Lira are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Lira 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$2.32 UGX 9,929

-8.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$23.02 UGX 98.4K

-19.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$7.13 UGX 30.5K

-21.46%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.41 UGX 10.3K

-31.12%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$0.24 UGX 1,030

170.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.22 UGX 939

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$0.71 UGX 3,038

226.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$1.72 UGX 7,336

113.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$0.76 UGX 3,234

165.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$0.84 UGX 3,605

67.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$1.24 UGX 5,282

12.10%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$1.38 UGX 5,884

71.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$4.04 UGX 17.3K

308.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$4.35 UGX 18.6K

-38.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$4.71 UGX 20.1K

91.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$2.02 UGX 8,627

18.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$1.35 UGX 5,754

-22.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.21 UGX 5,188

37.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.18 UGX 5,042

32.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$1.20 UGX 5,118

3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$1.20 UGX 5,112

-9.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$0.70 UGX 2,976

8.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.50 UGX 2,144

2.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.41 UGX 10.3K

70.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$7.17 UGX 30.6K

150.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$1.05 UGX 4,466

54.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$1.78 UGX 7,589

58.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$0.49 UGX 2,092

140.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.28 UGX 1,188

-39.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.90 UGX 12.4K

-37.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$1.42 UGX 6,054

3.52%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$6,923 UGX 29.6M

203.52%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$7,095 UGX 30.3M

273.72%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$65.4 UGX 279.7K

-4.40%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$10.94 UGX 46.8K

6.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$33.40 UGX 142.7K

-39.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$7.12 UGX 30.4K

-8.57%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$259 UGX 1.1M

180.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$15.6K UGX 66.7M

6.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$12.99 UGX 55.5K

312.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$12.06 UGX 51.6K

105.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$30.89 UGX 132.0K

192.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$41.89 UGX 179.0K

71.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

20.75

-73.16%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lira: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Lira

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Lira

$141 36.3% 40.3% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Lira

$44 11.3% 59.4% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Lira

$110 28.2% 16.2% $15

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Lira

$78 20% 1.4% $1.1

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Lira

$1.9 * 0.5% 96.8% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Lira

$14 * 3.7% 72% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $23 in Lira. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $141 in Lira – so Lira wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇬 Lira

🕒 Local time

17:45 5:45 PM

13:45 1:45 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

99,059

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.34 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.78 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4,273 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.34 USD). 1 EUR = 4,802 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.08 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Lira 7,410 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Lira

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 Lira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 141% more than Lira, 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 $583 in Lira. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $23 in Lira. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 68% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $389 in Lira to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.