Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Obninsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,196 in Obninsk, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Obninsk
Learn more

Obninsk Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Obninsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,196

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,196 in Obninsk, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Obninsk $1,196

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,805 in Obninsk, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Obninsk $1,805

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,413 in Obninsk, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Obninsk $2,413

Chiang Mai is about 22% cheaper than Obninsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Obninsk are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Obninsk 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$9.57 ₽784

-77.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$36.78 ₽3,013

-49.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$7.37 ₽604

-24.02%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$3.01 ₽247

-44.85%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$1.20 ₽98.3

-45.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$0.48 ₽38.97

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$1.81 ₽148

28.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.39 ₽196

53.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.17 ₽95.9

72.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$0.60 ₽49.10

135.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$1.77 ₽145

-21.47%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$1.30 ₽106

82.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$7.69 ₽630

114.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$4.79 ₽393

-44.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$8.38 ₽686

7.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$1.60 ₽131

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.69 ₽139

-38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.90 ₽155

-12.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.48 ₽203

-37.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$0.53 ₽43.47

133.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$0.54 ₽44.11

101.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$0.99 ₽81.3

-23.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$0.55 ₽45.19

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$3.43 ₽281

20.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$8.76 ₽718

104.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.24 ₽102

30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$1.90 ₽155

48.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$0.53 ₽43.61

75.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$24.47 ₽2,004

116.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$3.59 ₽294

-67.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$0.36 ₽29.08

-52.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$6.16 ₽504

-70.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$0.91 ₽74.5

61.54%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$43.6K ₽3.6M

-51.75%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$39.6K ₽3.2M

-33.05%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$181 ₽14.8K

-65.47%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$8.59 ₽704

35.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$9.73 ₽797

108.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$38.25 ₽3,133

-0.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$26.87 ₽2,201

-86.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$9.08 ₽744

-28.30%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$354 ₽29.0K

105.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$6,281 ₽514.6K

163.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$105 ₽8,595

-48.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$66.2 ₽5,426

-62.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$143 ₽11.7K

-36.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$177 ₽14.5K

-59.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$500 ₽41.0K

-3.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$351 ₽28.7K

-11.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$932 ₽76.3K

13.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$596 ₽48.8K

10.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$2,255 ₽184.7K

7.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$1,505 ₽123.3K

6.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

19.36

-71.23%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Obninsk: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Obninsk

$351 29.3% 13.2% $41

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Obninsk

$181 15.1% 23.5% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Obninsk

$221 18.5% 104% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Obninsk

$199 16.7% 111% $105

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Obninsk

$155 13% 103% $79

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Obninsk

$32 2.7% 45.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Obninsk

$56 4.7% 10.8% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $500 in Obninsk. 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $37 in Obninsk. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $181 in Obninsk – so Obninsk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇺 Obninsk

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

01:15 1:15 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

116,179

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 81.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 91.55 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Obninsk 6,560 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Obninsk

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 Obninsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Obninsk costs about 28% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $1,794 in Obninsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $481 in Chiang Mai and $500 in Obninsk. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $354 in Obninsk. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Obninsk – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,196 in Obninsk. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,196 in Obninsk. 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.