Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,922 in Moscow, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Moscow $1,922

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,941 in Moscow, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Moscow $2,941

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,960 in Moscow, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Moscow $3,960

Chiang Mai is about 51% cheaper than Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Moscow is 41% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$12.50 ₽1,007

-82.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$61.2 ₽4,932

-68.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$7.65 ₽616

-27.45%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.84 ₽309

-56.51%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.74 ₽140

-63.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.85 ₽68.7

-63.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$4.83 ₽389

-51.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$5.17 ₽417

-29.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.32 ₽107

47.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.04 ₽83.9

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.77 ₽143

-24.86%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.02 ₽163

12.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$15.08 ₽1,215

9.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$6.86 ₽552

-59.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$15.29 ₽1,231

-39.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.14 ₽172

9.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.83 ₽148

-46.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.03 ₽163

-21.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.14 ₽333

-63.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.94 ₽75.9

36.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.77 ₽61.9

42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.69 ₽136

-57.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$1.01 ₽81.2

-51.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.71 ₽299

11.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$12.23 ₽985

43.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.26 ₽101

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.73 ₽220

1.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.96 ₽77.3

-9.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$43.33 ₽3,489

24.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$3.68 ₽296

-68.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.84 ₽67.5

-36.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$12.33 ₽993

-80.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.96 ₽77.3

51.04%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$45.4K ₽3.7M

-53.59%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$41.2K ₽3.3M

-34.61%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$199 ₽16.0K

-68.73%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$9.04 ₽728

34.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$10.05 ₽809

100.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$44.51 ₽3,584

-16.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$47.40 ₽3,817

-92.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$9.63 ₽776

-32.61%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$898 ₽72.3K

-18.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$29.3K ₽2.4M

-49.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$117 ₽9,397

-54.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$69.4 ₽5,587

-64.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$153 ₽12.3K

-40.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$188 ₽15.1K

-61.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,533 ₽123.5K

-68.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$860 ₽69.3K

-64.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$3,127 ₽251.8K

-67.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,552 ₽125.0K

-59.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$10.5K ₽844.3K

-77.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$4,981 ₽401.2K

-68.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,798 ₽144.8K

-67.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

19.58

-71.55%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Moscow: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Moscow

$860 44.7% 179% $551

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Moscow

$274 14.3% 17% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Moscow

$237 12.3% 118% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Moscow

$218 11.3% 131% $123

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Moscow

$214 11.1% 176% $136

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Moscow

$55 2.9% 10.3% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Moscow

$64 3.3% 26.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,533 in Moscow. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Moscow are about 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $61 in Moscow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $274 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

15:14 3:14 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

12,700,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, 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 = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.87 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Moscow 6,510 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Moscow

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 Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow costs about 105% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $2,883 in Moscow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,533 in Moscow.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $898 in Moscow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Moscow, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,922 in Moscow. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,922 in Moscow. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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