Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mandalgovi

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandalgovi: $642 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Mandalgovi
Learn more

Mandalgovi Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Mandalgovi

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$642

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $642 in Mandalgovi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Mandalgovi $642

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,057 in Mandalgovi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Mandalgovi $1,057

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,472 in Mandalgovi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Mandalgovi $1,472

Chiang Mai costs about 46% more than Mandalgovi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Mandalgovi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Mandalgovi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$5.44 MNT 19.6K

-58.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$32.52 MNT 117.0K

-41.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.54 MNT 19.9K

0.18%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$2.38 MNT 8,572

-29.83%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.90 MNT 3,228

-28.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.60 MNT 2,176

-48.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.34 MNT 8,419

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$3.28 MNT 11.8K

11.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.47 MNT 5,294

32.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$1.03 MNT 3,700

39.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$2.07 MNT 7,451

-35.75%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.14 MNT 7,716

6.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$12.52 MNT 45.1K

31.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$4.78 MNT 17.2K

-41.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$6.81 MNT 24.5K

36.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$3.15 MNT 11.3K

-25.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$2.43 MNT 8,746

-60.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$3.70 MNT 13.3K

-56.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.11 MNT 11.2K

-51.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$0.75 MNT 2,697

70.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.09 MNT 3,917

0.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$1.71 MNT 6,170

-58.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.73 MNT 2,610

-32.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.69 MNT 6,092

144.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$10.34 MNT 37.2K

69.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.50 MNT 5,395

7.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$1.78 MNT 6,419

56.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$0.51 MNT 1,822

127.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.51 MNT 1,849

3.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$6.16 MNT 22.2K

-60.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.11 MNT 3,984

30.63%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$26.7K MNT 96.0M

-21.05%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$34.6K MNT 124.6M

-22.17%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$70.7 MNT 254.4K

-12.07%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$7.75 MNT 27.9K

57.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$13.46 MNT 48.5K

49.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.19 MNT 15.1K

54.89%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$786 MNT 2.8M

-6.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$8,345 MNT 30.0M

76.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$83.4 MNT 300.0K

-35.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$45.09 MNT 162.3K

-45.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$105 MNT 376.2K

-12.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$189 MNT 679.2K

-61.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.32

-46.03%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mandalgovi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Mandalgovi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Mandalgovi

$236 36.8% 0.7% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Mandalgovi

$190 29.6% 74.7% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Mandalgovi

$92 14.3% 2.7% $2.5

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Mandalgovi

$113 17.6% 45.7% $35

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Mandalgovi

$3.1 * 0.5% 95% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Mandalgovi

$8.4 * 1.3% 83.3% $42

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 $33 in Mandalgovi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $236 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇳 Mandalgovi

🕒 Local time

08:29 8:29 AM

09:29 9:29 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

10,888

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,599 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,006 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.5 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Mandalgovi 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Mandalgovi

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 Mandalgovi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 46% more than Mandalgovi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $963 in Mandalgovi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $642 in Mandalgovi. That makes Mandalgovi about 31% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $33 in Mandalgovi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $642 in Mandalgovi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $642 in Mandalgovi to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.