Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nawabshah

For one person, living is cheaper in Nawabshah: $485 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Nawabshah
Learn more

Nawabshah Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Nawabshah

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$485

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $485 in Nawabshah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Nawabshah $485

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $734 in Nawabshah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Nawabshah $734

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $982 in Nawabshah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Nawabshah $982

Chiang Mai costs about 93% more than Nawabshah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Nawabshah are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Nawabshah 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.22 PKR 613

0.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$12.65 PKR 3,501

50.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.30 PKR 1,465

4.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 PKR 592

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 PKR 2,047

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.12 PKR 588

-21.23%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.41 PKR 114

56.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.25 PKR 69.7

24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.92 PKR 255

111.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.55 PKR 153

161.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.19 PKR 329

11.76%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.27 PKR 352

79.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$5.68 PKR 1,570

189.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.12 PKR 862

-10.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$6.31 PKR 1,747

47.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.24 PKR 342

89.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$0.55 PKR 152

76.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.98 PKR 272

63.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.55 PKR 153

172.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.31 PKR 87.1

312.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.31 PKR 86.9

254.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.44 PKR 122

61.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.44 PKR 122

11.36%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.27 PKR 352

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 PKR 362

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 675

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.84 PKR 508

125.00%

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

$0.17 PKR 48.14

411.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$9.23 PKR 2,555

486.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.86 PKR 237

34.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.75 PKR 208

-29.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$2.12 PKR 587

14.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.38 PKR 381

5.07%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$18.1K PKR 5.0M

16.50%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$25.4K PKR 7.0M

5.89%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$115 PKR 31.7K

-45.79%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$5.86 PKR 1,622

107.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$13.36 PKR 3,695

50.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$13.74 PKR 3,801

171.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$8.83 PKR 2,443

-57.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.45 PKR 1,232

45.84%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$66.5 PKR 18.4K

1007.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$1,934 PKR 535.2K

663.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$17.46 PKR 4,831

205.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$22.19 PKR 6,140

11.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$67.1 PKR 18.6K

36.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$40.03 PKR 11.1K

79.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$137 PKR 37.9K

251.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$84.9 PKR 23.5K

263.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$265 PKR 73.4K

279.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$183 PKR 50.6K

246.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$853 PKR 235.9K

177.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$574 PKR 158.9K

176.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$129 PKR 35.6K

358.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.21

-57.83%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nawabshah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Nawabshah

$85 17.5% 72.5% $224

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Nawabshah

$101 20.8% 56.9% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Nawabshah

$66 13.6% 39.2% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Nawabshah

$134 27.6% 41.8% $39

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Nawabshah

$62 12.7% 20.4% $16

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Nawabshah

$15 3% 76.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Nawabshah

$23 4.7% 55% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $137 in Nawabshah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 4.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $13 in Nawabshah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $101 – making Nawabshah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Nawabshah

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

04:29 4:29 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

263,102

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 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 31, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Nawabshah 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Nawabshah

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 Nawabshah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 93% more than Nawabshah, 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 $727 in Nawabshah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nawabshah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $66 in Nawabshah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 132% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Nawabshah, where all-in costs run around $485, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Nawabshah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nawabshah – 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 Nawabshah. 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.