Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mpigi

For one person, living is cheaper in Mpigi: $403 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Mpigi
Learn more

Mpigi Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Mpigi

🇺🇬 Uganda

$403

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $403 in Mpigi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Mpigi $403

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $635 in Mpigi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Mpigi $635

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $867 in Mpigi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Mpigi $867

Chiang Mai costs about 132% more than Mpigi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Mpigi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Mpigi 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$2.45 UGX 10.7K

-8.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$24.04 UGX 105.3K

-20.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$7.10 UGX 31.1K

-21.83%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$2.53 UGX 11.1K

-33.99%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.35 UGX 1,515

82.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.27 UGX 1,191

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.22 UGX 5,364

93.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$1.82 UGX 7,978

101.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.77 UGX 3,361

153.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.92 UGX 4,048

56.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.28 UGX 5,598

3.91%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.53 UGX 6,692

49.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$4.31 UGX 18.9K

281.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$4.33 UGX 19.0K

-35.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$4.75 UGX 20.8K

96.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$2.07 UGX 9,071

13.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.25 UGX 5,486

-22.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.25 UGX 5,476

28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.13 UGX 4,958

32.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.24 UGX 5,412

3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.18 UGX 5,161

-6.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.77 UGX 3,391

-7.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.48 UGX 2,087

2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.43 UGX 10.6K

70.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$7.25 UGX 31.7K

141.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.08 UGX 4,711

49.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$1.89 UGX 8,281

47.09%

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

$0.47 UGX 2,045

146.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.31 UGX 1,365

70.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$3.09 UGX 13.5K

-21.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.39 UGX 6,090

4.32%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$7,087 UGX 31.0M

197.14%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$7,321 UGX 32.1M

267.99%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$68.4 UGX 299.8K

-9.16%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$11.34 UGX 49.7K

7.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$34.15 UGX 149.6K

-41.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.09 UGX 31.1K

-8.46%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$245 UGX 1.1M

200.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$8,034 UGX 35.2M

83.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$13.30 UGX 58.3K

301.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$12.83 UGX 56.2K

92.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$31.10 UGX 136.2K

194.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$42.58 UGX 186.5K

68.95%

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

20.75

-73.16%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mpigi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Mpigi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Mpigi

$144 35.8% 38.5% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Mpigi

$45 11.2% 58.7% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Mpigi

$114 28.3% 20.6% $19

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Mpigi

$83 20.7% 7.6% $5.9

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Mpigi

$2 * 0.5% 96.7% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Mpigi

$14 * 3.5% 71.8% $36

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 $24 in Mpigi. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $144 in Mpigi – so Mpigi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇬 Mpigi

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

08:06 8:06 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

49,500

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, 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).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4,380 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD). 1 EUR = 4,876 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Mpigi 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Mpigi

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 Mpigi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 132% more than Mpigi, 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 $604 in Mpigi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $24 in Mpigi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 63% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mpigi, where all-in costs run around $403, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Mpigi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $403 in Mpigi to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.