Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mehar

For one person, living is cheaper in Mehar: $447 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Mehar
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Mehar Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Mehar

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $447 in Mehar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Mehar $447

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $667 in Mehar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Mehar $667

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $887 in Mehar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Mehar $887

Chiang Mai costs about 107% more than Mehar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Mehar are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Mehar 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$2.12 PKR 586

8.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$10.76 PKR 2,977

82.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$5.37 PKR 1,487

4.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 PKR 682

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 PKR 1,482

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.58 PKR 437

5.06%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.35 PKR 97.0

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.17 PKR 48.28

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.84 PKR 231

132.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.62 PKR 172

127.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.12 PKR 311

16.96%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.20 PKR 332

81.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$5.71 PKR 1,580

191.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.57 PKR 712

7.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$5.03 PKR 1,391

81.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.16 PKR 320

106.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.55 PKR 151

87.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.79 PKR 218

106.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.56 PKR 156

167.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.30 PKR 83.5

330.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.38 PKR 106

192.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.42 PKR 115

71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.35 PKR 95.7

51.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.81 PKR 502

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 PKR 293

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 PKR 657

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.02 PKR 559

113.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.20 PKR 54.3

330.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$9.77 PKR 2,703

445.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.10 PKR 304

10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.71 PKR 196

-19.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$1.64 PKR 453

43.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.24 PKR 342

16.13%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$22.1K PKR 6.1M

-6.11%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

10.10%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$101 PKR 28.0K

-38.48%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$5.71 PKR 1,581

112.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$14.30 PKR 3,958

39.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$15.17 PKR 4,199

144.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$7.92 PKR 2,191

-52.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$4.39 PKR 1,215

48.06%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$42.99 PKR 11.9K

1743.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,021 PKR 282.7K

1349.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$16.60 PKR 4,595

223.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$23.60 PKR 6,531

4.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$67.9 PKR 18.8K

33.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$33.37 PKR 9,235

113.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$128 PKR 35.5K

255.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$77.4 PKR 21.4K

284.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$249 PKR 69.0K

264.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$151 PKR 41.8K

266.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$949 PKR 262.6K

103.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$483 PKR 133.8K

198.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$109 PKR 30.0K

444.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-57.15%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Mehar: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Mehar

$77 17.3% 74% $220

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Mehar

$91 20.5% 61.2% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Mehar

$64 14.2% 41.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Mehar

$121 27.1% 28.6% $27

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Mehar

$54 12.1% 31.1% $24

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Mehar

$15 3.4% 75% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Mehar

$24 5.4% 52.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $128 in Mehar. 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 444% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $11.00 in Mehar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $91.0 – making Mehar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Mehar

🕒 Local time

21:54 9:54 PM

19:54 7:54 PM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 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 October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Mehar 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Mehar

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 Mehar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 107% more than Mehar, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $671 in Mehar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mehar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $42.99 in Mehar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 158% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mehar, where all-in costs run around $447, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Mehar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mehar costs $447 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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