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 $848 per month in Chiang Mai vs $379 in Nuh, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,331 per month in Chiang Mai vs $614 in Nuh, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,814 per month in Chiang Mai vs $849 in Nuh, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 124% more than Nuh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Nuh are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Nuh 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.1

$2.37 ₹223

-17.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 ฿603

$10.35 ₹976

77.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 ฿258

$3.83 ₹361

105.48%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$1.54 ₹145

26.62%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.41 ₹38.26

107.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.61

$0.15 ₹13.82

113.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿70.2

$1.76 ₹166

21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿121

$3.09 ₹292

19.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$0.65 ₹61.2

155.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿51.1

$0.45 ₹42.69

246.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.95

$0.70 ₹66.3

70.00%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿65.2

$0.87 ₹82.5

128.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 ฿532

$5.10 ₹481

218.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿104

$2.91 ₹274

8.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿355

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ฿87.0

$1.99 ₹188

33.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿40.00

$0.67 ₹63.3

82.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿54.1

$1.01 ₹95.1

63.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.7

$0.51 ₹48.04

203.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.53

$0.36 ₹33.86

269.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.75

$0.44 ₹41.83

175.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ฿22.22

$0.46 ₹43.18

47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.54

$0.34 ₹32.44

67.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 ฿154

$4.03 ₹380

16.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿557

$7.30 ₹689

132.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.75 ₹165

4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿104

$2.89 ₹272

10.03%

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

$5.16 ₹487

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿29.70

$0.30 ₹28.64

203.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ฿614

$8.83 ₹833

112.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿46.18

$0.79 ₹74.9

78.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 ฿267

$1.48 ₹139

450.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.88

$1.22 ₹115

4.92%

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

$21.8K ฿715.2K

$14.2K ₹1.3M

53.57%

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

$22.4K ฿734.1K

$21.4K ₹2.0M

4.52%

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

$70.5 ฿2,310

$39.34 ₹3,711

79.16%

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

$14.05 ฿460

$3.45 ₹325

307.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.65 ฿578

$7.28 ₹687

142.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 ฿1,353

$16.04 ₹1,513

157.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ฿222

$7.07 ₹667

-4.38%

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ฿195

$2.93 ₹276

103.41%

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

$303 ฿9,928

$51.5 ₹4,861

487.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿490.2K

$1,535 ₹144.7K

874.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,793

$24.54 ₹2,315

122.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ฿861

$25.46 ₹2,402

3.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,811

$42.52 ₹4,011

101.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,284

$32.30 ₹3,047

115.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$122 ₹11.5K

250.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,834

$75.1 ₹7,082

218.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.6K

$269 ₹25.4K

201.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ฿16.7K

$182 ₹17.2K

180.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 ฿66.4K

$871 ₹82.2K

132.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ฿49.2K

$586 ₹55.2K

156.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.67

-42.33%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Last update for Nuh: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $122 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $10.00 in Nuh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $105 – 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 124% 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 $1,272 per month in Chiang Mai and $569 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 $303 per month in Chiang Mai and $51.5 in Nuh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 131% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $848 in Chiang Mai and $379 in Nuh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nuh costs $379 versus $848 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.