Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Oktyabr'skiy Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Oktyabr'skiy

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $872 per month in Chiang Mai vs $996 in Oktyabr'skiy, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,337 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,575 in Oktyabr'skiy, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,802 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,154 in Oktyabr'skiy, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 12% cheaper than Oktyabr'skiy, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Oktyabr'skiy are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Oktyabr'skiy 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.01 ฿64.5

$12.59 ₽945

-84.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.23 ฿584

$51.7 ₽3,884

-64.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ฿245

$5.59 ₽419

36.85%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿61.5

$2.41 ₽181

-20.33%

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

$0.84 ฿26.96

$1.23 ₽92.5

-31.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.42

$0.65 ₽48.74

-44.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 ฿70.2

$1.11 ₽83.3

97.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿121

$2.61 ₽196

45.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿52.5

$1.10 ₽82.6

49.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿51.9

$0.61 ₽45.49

165.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 ฿36.96

$1.17 ₽88.2

-1.71%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿62.1

$1.74 ₽130

11.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 ฿511

$8.89 ₽668

79.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ฿99.4

$5.16 ₽388

-39.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ฿355

$8.34 ₽626

32.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿86.7

$1.54 ₽115

75.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿37.77

$1.88 ₽141

-37.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿54.6

$2.20 ₽165

-22.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.4

$2.44 ₽183

-34.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿44.63

$0.67 ₽50.6

107.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ฿36.78

$0.51 ₽38.60

125.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿22.81

$1.74 ₽131

-59.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿17.63

$0.61 ₽45.48

-9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 ฿146

$2.97 ₽223

53.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.87 ฿605

$5.90 ₽443

219.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.3

$0.87 ₽65.4

109.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ฿103

$2.33 ₽175

37.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.23

$0.50 ₽37.19

76.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.89 ฿605

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.27

$3.53 ₽265

-60.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 ฿41.68

$0.36 ₽26.74

261.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 ฿263

$3.70 ₽278

121.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.27

$0.71 ₽53.0

73.24%

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

$21.2K ฿678.5K

$49.7K ₽3.7M

-57.37%

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

$22.3K ฿714.9K

$44.1K ₽3.3M

-49.46%

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

$69.9 ฿2,239

$118 ₽8,847

-40.70%

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

$14.07 ฿451

$6.71 ₽504

109.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.70 ฿567

$8.27 ₽621

114.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.41 ฿1,327

$35.08 ₽2,634

18.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 ฿214

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ฿184

$4.14 ₽311

38.65%

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

$299 ฿9,587

$316 ₽23.7K

-5.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿480.9K

$6,038 ₽453.4K

148.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,756

$98.5 ₽7,391

-44.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.35 ฿844

$47.41 ₽3,559

-44.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 ฿2,712

$125 ₽9,372

-32.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,234

$75.1 ₽5,638

-7.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 ฿13.7K

$449 ₽33.7K

-5.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ฿7,713

$299 ₽22.5K

-19.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.0K

$758 ₽56.9K

6.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.0K

$511 ₽38.4K

-2.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 ฿64.8K

$1,960 ₽147.2K

3.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,524 ฿48.8K

$1,493 ₽112.1K

2.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$639 ฿20.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.33

-67.38%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

Last update for Oktyabr'skiy: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $427 in Chiang Mai versus $449 in Oktyabr'skiy. 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 in Chiang Mai versus $52 in Oktyabr'skiy. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Chiang Mai vs $184 in Oktyabr'skiy – so Oktyabr'skiy wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Oktyabr'skiy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oktyabr'skiy costs about 14% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,308 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,493 in Oktyabr'skiy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $52.0 in Oktyabr'skiy. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 34% cheaper in Oktyabr'skiy – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $872 in Chiang Mai and $996 in Oktyabr'skiy, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $872 versus $996 in Oktyabr'skiy. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oktyabr'skiy makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.