Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Multan

For one person, living is cheaper in Multan: $529 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Multan
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Multan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Multan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $529 in Multan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Multan $529

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $746 in Multan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Multan $746

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $964 in Multan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Multan $964

Chiang Mai costs about 77% more than Multan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Multan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Multan 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.52 PKR 696

-10.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$10.96 PKR 3,033

75.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$5.29 PKR 1,464

5.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 PKR 770

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.84 PKR 510

-6.52%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.30 PKR 83.2

113.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.16 PKR 45.20

106.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.68 PKR 188

201.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.52 PKR 143

169.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.06 PKR 294

20.75%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.13 PKR 314

99.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$6.65 PKR 1,840

154.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.52 PKR 697

8.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$4.63 PKR 1,280

102.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$0.96 PKR 266

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.50 PKR 138

102.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.71 PKR 196

126.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.61 PKR 169

149.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.39 PKR 109

228.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.43 PKR 119

158.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.50 PKR 138

44.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.37 PKR 104

40.54%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.88 PKR 521

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PKR 785

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.14 PKR 594

102.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.19 PKR 53.0

347.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$7.28 PKR 2,016

640.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.45 PKR 402

-19.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.35 PKR 96.6

62.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$0.88 PKR 245

169.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.14 PKR 316

27.19%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$25.0K PKR 6.9M

-18.06%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-2.34%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$147 PKR 40.7K

-57.60%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$4.87 PKR 1,347

151.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$19.22 PKR 5,320

3.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$24.43 PKR 6,761

55.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$3.55 PKR 981

5.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$4.25 PKR 1,177

57.88%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$43.24 PKR 12.0K

1743.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$999 PKR 276.6K

1383.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$17.83 PKR 4,935

198.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$18.67 PKR 5,167

34.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$94.3 PKR 26.1K

-2.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$25.89 PKR 7,165

183.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$146 PKR 40.3K

218.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$93.6 PKR 25.9K

225.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$220 PKR 60.8K

316.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$150 PKR 41.5K

268.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$183 PKR 50.5K

225.95%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Multan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Multan

$94 17.7% 69.3% $211

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Multan

$89 16.9% 62.4% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Multan

$70 13.3% 35.6% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Multan

$171 32.4% 80.9% $77

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Multan

$60 11.3% 24.1% $19

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Multan

$11 2.1% 81.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Multan

$33 6.2% 35.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $146 in Multan. 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 226% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $11.00 in Multan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $89.0 – making Multan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Multan

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

12:53 12:53 PM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,871,843

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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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Between locations

Chiang Mai Multan 3,050 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Multan

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 Multan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 77% more than Multan, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $793 in Multan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $43.24 in Multan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 166% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Multan, where all-in costs run around $529, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Multan 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. Multan costs $529 versus $938 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 Multan. 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.