Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nuh Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nuh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $920 per month in Chiang Mai vs $368 in Nuh, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai vs $580 in Nuh, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,895 per month in Chiang Mai vs $792 in Nuh, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 150% more than Nuh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Nuh are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 33% lower, Nuh 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 ฿69.1

$2.11 ₹202

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.75 ฿648

$9.66 ₹925

104.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 ฿192

$3.33 ₹319

75.68%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ฿57.8

$1.70 ₹163

3.53%

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

$0.74 ฿24.37

$0.40 ₹37.81

85.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿10.90

$0.15 ₹13.94

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 ฿81.0

$1.78 ₹170

38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ฿127

$3.21 ₹308

20.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ฿62.4

$0.62 ₹59.0

206.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ฿54.7

$0.44 ₹41.75

279.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿44.24

$0.66 ₹63.5

104.55%

Eggs

$2.14 ฿70.2

$0.86 ₹82.7

148.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿521

$4.69 ₹449

238.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.83 ฿92.9

$2.85 ₹273

-0.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 ฿345

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ฿78.2

$1.96 ₹187

21.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.01

$0.68 ₹64.7

57.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.79

$0.92 ₹88.0

65.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿49.30

$0.45 ₹42.82

233.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿41.96

$0.29 ₹27.84

341.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.17

$0.36 ₹34.79

205.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ฿22.54

$0.43 ₹41.61

60.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.18

$0.31 ₹30.09

58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.90 ₹468

-12.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.78 ฿550

$7.17 ₹686

134.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$1.60 ₹153

3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ฿92.3

$2.72 ₹261

3.31%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.81 ₹460

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.44

$0.26 ₹24.92

246.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,801

$8.24 ₹789

566.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 ฿39.24

$0.82 ₹78.7

46.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ฿17.78

$0.23 ₹22.47

134.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿77.9

$1.75 ₹168

35.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.88

$1.14 ₹109

25.44%

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

$21.1K ฿691.5K

$13.0K ₹1.2M

62.16%

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

$27.1K ฿890.2K

$20.0K ₹1.9M

35.57%

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

$64.7 ฿2,124

$33.02 ₹3,159

96.06%

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

$13.19 ฿433

$2.99 ₹287

341.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.44 ฿638

$6.73 ₹644

188.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 ฿1,294

$14.53 ₹1,390

171.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿124

$6.13 ₹587

-38.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ฿217

$2.49 ₹238

165.86%

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

$805 ฿26.4K

$47.26 ₹4,523

1603.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿496.1K

$1,466 ₹140.3K

931.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,796

$25.51 ₹2,441

114.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.43 ฿834

$23.27 ₹2,227

9.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 ฿3,015

$40.84 ₹3,908

125.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 ฿2,449

$27.99 ₹2,679

166.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 ฿15.3K

$121 ₹11.6K

286.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 ฿9,251

$77.5 ₹7,416

263.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.2K

$244 ₹23.4K

264.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.1K

$186 ₹17.8K

179.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,985 ฿65.1K

$870 ₹83.2K

128.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,462 ฿48.0K

$546 ₹52.3K

167.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.79

-36.63%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 17, 2026

Last update for Nuh: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $467 in Chiang Mai versus $121 in Nuh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $10.00 in Nuh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $100 – making Nuh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Nuh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 150% more than Nuh, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,380 per month in Chiang Mai and $551 in Nuh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $805 per month in Chiang Mai and $47.26 in Nuh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 138% 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 Nuh, where all-in costs run around $368, than in Chiang Mai at $920. In Nuh 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. Nuh costs $368 versus $920 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 Nuh. 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.