Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Namangan

For one person, living is cheaper in Namangan: $689 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Namangan

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $689 in Namangan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Namangan $689

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $938 in Namangan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Namangan $938

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,187 in Namangan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Namangan $1,187

Chiang Mai costs about 36% more than Namangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Namangan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Namangan 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.27 UZS 51.1K

-47.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$12.71 UZS 152.2K

49.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.29 UZS 51.4K

29.37%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.49 UZS 17.8K

12.08%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.68 UZS 8,206

-5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.30 UZS 3,583

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.63 UZS 19.6K

44.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.68 UZS 8,174

186.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.34 UZS 4,086

323.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$0.87 UZS 10.4K

52.87%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.13 UZS 13.5K

101.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.41 UZS 40.9K

-18.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.13 UZS 121.4K

-8.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.06 UZS 12.7K

121.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.81 UZS 21.7K

-46.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.28 UZS 27.3K

-29.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.66 UZS 7,858

127.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.51 UZS 6,159

150.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.41 UZS 4,891

168.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.24 UZS 2,863

195.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.44 UZS 5,296

11.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.12 UZS 25.5K

95.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.21 UZS 2,567

314.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.40 UZS 4,757

190.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.20 UZS 2,393

165.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$2.54 UZS 30.4K

-4.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.30 UZS 15.6K

11.54%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$207 UZS 2.5M

-69.92%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$2.80 UZS 33.5K

334.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$12.61 UZS 151.1K

59.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$102 UZS 1.2M

-63.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$12.78 UZS 153.1K

-70.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.23 UZS 50.7K

53.43%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$16.60 UZS 198.9K

221.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$33.10 UZS 396.5K

-25.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$200 UZS 2.4M

140.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$152 UZS 1.8M

102.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$305 UZS 3.7M

229.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$201 UZS 2.4M

215.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$393 UZS 4.7M

50.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Namangan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Namangan

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Namangan

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Namangan

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Namangan

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Namangan

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Namangan

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Namangan

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $200 in Namangan. 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 50% 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 $13 in Namangan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $103 – making Namangan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇿 Namangan

🕒 Local time

02:20 2:20 AM

00:20 12:20 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

678,200

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 11,980 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD). 1 EUR = 13,377 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.48 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Namangan 3,580 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Namangan

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 Namangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 36% more than Namangan, 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 $1,033 in Namangan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Namangan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $200 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $689 in Namangan. That makes Namangan about 26% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 128% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Namangan, where all-in costs run around $689, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Namangan 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 $689 in Namangan to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Namangan. 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.