Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mardan

For one person, living is cheaper in Mardan: $502 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
Learn more

Mardan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $502 in Mardan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Mardan $502

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $788 in Mardan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Mardan $788

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,074 in Mardan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Mardan $1,074

Chiang Mai costs about 86% more than Mardan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Mardan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Mardan 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.53 PKR 977

-36.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$23.47 PKR 6,489

-19.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.44 PKR 1,503

2.02%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 PKR 1,013

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 PKR 1,871

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.55 PKR 704

-34.51%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.34 PKR 94.7

88.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.23 PKR 63.8

34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.90 PKR 249

116.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.78 PKR 216

84.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.29 PKR 358

3.10%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.22 PKR 337

86.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$2.93 PKR 811

461.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.17 PKR 877

-12.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$3.72 PKR 1,028

150.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$0.87 PKR 239

170.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$0.73 PKR 203

32.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.03 PKR 285

55.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.35 PKR 96.5

328.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.27 PKR 74.1

374.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.38 PKR 106

189.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.28 PKR 77.2

153.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.35 PKR 95.9

40.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 495

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 333

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 641

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.84 PKR 508

125.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.20 PKR 54.5

335.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$10.72 PKR 2,963

404.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$1.27 PKR 352

-8.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.69 PKR 190

-23.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$1.60 PKR 442

51.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.05 PKR 291

38.10%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

-3.28%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

14.29%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$104 PKR 28.6K

-39.99%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$6.02 PKR 1,664

102.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$16.99 PKR 4,697

18.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$12.89 PKR 3,563

189.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$8.04 PKR 2,221

-53.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.89 PKR 1,352

32.72%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$42.07 PKR 11.6K

1649.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$1,058 PKR 292.6K

1295.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$25.98 PKR 7,182

105.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$34.63 PKR 9,574

-28.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$96.3 PKR 26.6K

-5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$40.12 PKR 11.1K

79.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$134 PKR 37.1K

259.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

259.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$264 PKR 73.1K

280.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$182 PKR 50.3K

248.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$865 PKR 239.1K

173.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$578 PKR 159.7K

175.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.08

-57.42%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mardan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Mardan

$86 17.1% 72.2% $223

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Mardan

$84 16.8% 64.1% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Mardan

$89 17.7% 18.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Mardan

$127 25.2% 34% $32

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Mardan

$77 15.4% 0.2% $0.1

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Mardan

$16 3.2% 73.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Mardan

$23 4.5% 54.9% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $134 in Mardan. 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 $23 in Mardan. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $84 in Mardan – so Mardan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Mardan

🕒 Local time

11:09 11:09 AM

09:09 9:09 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

358,604

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Mardan 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Mardan

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 Mardan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 86% more than Mardan, 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 $753 in Mardan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mardan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $134 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $42 in Mardan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 179% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Mardan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.