Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nalaikh

For one person, living is cheaper in Nalaikh: $905 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $370 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Nalaikh
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Nalaikh Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Nalaikh

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$905

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $905 in Nalaikh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Nalaikh $905

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,430 in Nalaikh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Nalaikh $1,430

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,956 in Nalaikh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Nalaikh $1,956

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Nalaikh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Nalaikh are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Nalaikh 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.39 MNT 15.8K

-48.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$26.30 MNT 94.5K

-27.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.49 MNT 16.1K

23.61%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.24 MNT 8,050

-25.45%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$0.67 MNT 2,411

-4.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$0.40 MNT 1,437

-22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.40 MNT 5,034

68.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.18 MNT 7,832

67.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.23 MNT 4,425

58.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$0.87 MNT 3,114

65.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$1.60 MNT 5,735

-16.88%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.14 MNT 7,695

6.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$12.58 MNT 45.2K

30.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$4.20 MNT 15.1K

-33.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$5.39 MNT 19.4K

72.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.12 MNT 11.2K

-24.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$2.39 MNT 8,583

-59.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.82 MNT 13.7K

-58.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.75 MNT 9,873

-45.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$0.57 MNT 2,052

124.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$1.01 MNT 3,630

8.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$1.22 MNT 4,369

-41.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.62 MNT 2,238

-20.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.63 MNT 5,848

153.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$8.53 MNT 30.7K

105.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.95 MNT 3,431

69.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.62 MNT 5,826

71.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$0.16 MNT 562

443.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$6.26 MNT 22.5K

764.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$0.55 MNT 1,980

110.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$0.56 MNT 2,001

-5.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$2.47 MNT 8,859

-2.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$0.96 MNT 3,446

51.04%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$26.7K MNT 96.0M

-21.20%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$16.6K MNT 59.5M

62.68%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$69.2 MNT 248.5K

-10.09%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$6.91 MNT 24.8K

76.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$11.33 MNT 40.7K

77.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$55.0 MNT 197.8K

-32.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$13.70 MNT 49.2K

-72.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.85 MNT 10.2K

127.72%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$125 MNT 449.2K

488.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$5,461 MNT 19.6M

170.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$60.8 MNT 218.6K

-12.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$45.19 MNT 162.4K

-45.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$83.5 MNT 300.1K

9.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$127 MNT 456.0K

-43.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$425 MNT 1.5M

13.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$302 MNT 1.1M

2.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,249 MNT 4.5M

-19.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$587 MNT 2.1M

7.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,407 MNT 5.1M

68.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$829 MNT 3.0M

91.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$531 MNT 1.9M

11.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.40%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nalaikh: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Nalaikh

$302 33.4% 2.2% $6.8

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Nalaikh

$211 23.3% 10% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Nalaikh

$142 15.7% 31.1% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Nalaikh

$87 9.7% 7.5% $7.1

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Nalaikh

$91 10.1% 17.4% $14

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Nalaikh

$10 1.1% 83.3% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Nalaikh

$61 6.7% 20.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $425 in Nalaikh. 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 11% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $26 in Nalaikh. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $211 in Nalaikh – so Nalaikh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇳 Nalaikh

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

07:55 7:55 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

30,049

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,594 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,028 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Nalaikh

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 Nalaikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Nalaikh, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,357 in Nalaikh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nalaikh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $425 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $125 in Nalaikh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $905 in Nalaikh. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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