Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Machakos

For one person, living is cheaper in Machakos: $520 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Machakos
Learn more

Machakos Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Machakos

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $520 in Machakos, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Machakos $520

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $802 in Machakos, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Machakos $802

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,084 in Machakos, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Machakos $1,084

Chiang Mai costs about 80% more than Machakos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Machakos are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Machakos 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.99 KES 389

-25.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$19.26 KES 2,500

-1.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.26 KES 812

-11.34%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.97 KES 255

-15.23%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$0.66 KES 85.4

-3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$0.54 KES 69.6

-42.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.16 KES 281

9.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.67 KES 346

37.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.39 KES 50.9

400.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$0.48 KES 62.7

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$0.80 KES 104

66.25%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.36 KES 177

67.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.89 KES 1,413

51.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$6.36 KES 826

-56.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$4.71 KES 612

97.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.50 KES 195

56.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$0.81 KES 105

19.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.37 KES 47.49

332.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.40 KES 51.6

275.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$0.79 KES 102

62.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$0.76 KES 98.6

44.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$0.75 KES 97.6

-5.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.39 KES 51.1

25.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.51 KES 455

17.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$11.31 KES 1,468

54.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.91 KES 248

-15.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.70 KES 351

2.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$0.74 KES 96.4

56.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$0.75 KES 97.8

-29.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$2.86 KES 371

-15.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$1.50 KES 195

-3.33%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$19.1K KES 2.5M

10.14%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$21.7K KES 2.8M

24.00%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$57.0 KES 7,396

9.11%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$7.83 KES 1,017

55.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$11.58 KES 1,503

73.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$38.98 KES 5,060

-4.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.66 KES 994

-15.27%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$45.51 KES 5,907

1517.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

19.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$11.62 KES 1,509

359.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$28.49 KES 3,698

-13.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$68.8 KES 8,923

33.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$38.19 KES 4,956

88.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$94.2 KES 12.2K

412.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$70.4 KES 9,132

339.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$155 KES 20.1K

550.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$116 KES 15.1K

444.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$385 KES 50.0K

53.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

14.71

-62.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Machakos: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Machakos

$70 13.5% 77.2% $239

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Machakos

$161 31% 31.3% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Machakos

$66 12.7% 39.1% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Machakos

$76 14.7% 19.1% $18

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Machakos

$87 16.8% 12.5% $9.7

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Machakos

$4.5 * 0.9% 92.6% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Machakos

$54 10.4% 8% $4

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 $94 in Machakos. 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 53% 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 in Chiang Mai versus $19 in Machakos. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $161 in Machakos – so Machakos wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇪 Machakos

🕒 Local time

02:51 2:51 AM

22:51 10:51 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

114,109

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Machakos 7,110 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Machakos

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 Machakos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 80% more than Machakos, 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 $780 in Machakos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Machakos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $94 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $520 in Machakos. That makes Machakos about 44% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Machakos, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Machakos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Machakos – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Machakos. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.