Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mandi Bahauddin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandi Bahauddin: $417 a month against $935 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 Mandi Bahauddin
Learn more

Mandi Bahauddin Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Mandi Bahauddin

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$417

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Mandi Bahauddin

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $417 in Mandi Bahauddin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Mandi Bahauddin $417

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $640 in Mandi Bahauddin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Mandi Bahauddin $640

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $863 in Mandi Bahauddin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Mandi Bahauddin $863

Chiang Mai costs about 124% more than Mandi Bahauddin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Mandi Bahauddin are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Mandi Bahauddin 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$1.83 PKR 505

16.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$9.00 PKR 2,487

106.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$4.29 PKR 1,185

30.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 PKR 716

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 PKR 606

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.10 PKR 303

50.91%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$0.41 PKR 114

58.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$0.24 PKR 66.0

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$0.69 PKR 190

192.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$0.41 PKR 114

243.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$1.25 PKR 346

11.20%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$1.21 PKR 334

95.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$8.97 PKR 2,478

84.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$2.57 PKR 711

3.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$3.97 PKR 1,097

127.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.11 PKR 306

116.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$0.66 PKR 183

57.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$0.60 PKR 166

176.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$0.58 PKR 161

168.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$0.28 PKR 76.7

342.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$0.51 PKR 142

113.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$0.41 PKR 112

85.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.44 PKR 121

15.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.56 PKR 154

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 PKR 153

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 194

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$1.42 PKR 392

190.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.16 PKR 43.09

481.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$9.96 PKR 2,753

431.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$1.06 PKR 294

11.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$1.06 PKR 292

-83.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.92 PKR 806

-38.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.16 PKR 320

26.72%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

-10.93%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

12.75%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$68.2 PKR 18.8K

-8.23%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$5.65 PKR 1,561

105.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$14.46 PKR 3,997

40.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$14.69 PKR 4,059

157.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$8.31 PKR 2,296

-55.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$7.24 PKR 2,000

-10.08%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$26.20 PKR 7,242

2674.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$2,006 PKR 554.4K

726.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$19.21 PKR 5,308

178.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$26.31 PKR 7,271

-5.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$54.2 PKR 15.0K

66.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$30.31 PKR 8,377

137.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$133 PKR 36.8K

261.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$85.0 PKR 23.5K

264.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$267 PKR 73.8K

296.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$178 PKR 49.2K

270.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$828 PKR 228.8K

192.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$506 PKR 139.8K

218.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mandi Bahauddin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Mandi Bahauddin

$85 20.4% 72.6% $225

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Mandi Bahauddin

$96 23% 59.4% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Mandi Bahauddin

$58 14% 46% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Mandi Bahauddin

$88 21.2% 6.6% $6.2

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Mandi Bahauddin

$43 10.4% 43.5% $33

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Mandi Bahauddin

$17 4.1% 71.1% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Mandi Bahauddin

$29 7% 42.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $133 in Mandi Bahauddin. 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 in Chiang Mai versus $9 in Mandi Bahauddin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $96 – making Mandi Bahauddin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Mandi Bahauddin

🕒 Local time

08:57 8:57 AM

06:57 6:57 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

198,609

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 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 Mandi Bahauddin 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Mandi Bahauddin

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 Mandi Bahauddin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 124% more than Mandi Bahauddin, 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 $626 in Mandi Bahauddin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mandi Bahauddin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $133 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $26 in Mandi Bahauddin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 146% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mandi Bahauddin, where all-in costs run around $417, than in Chiang Mai at $935. In Mandi Bahauddin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mandi Bahauddin – 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.

For expats, Mandi Bahauddin is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 55% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.