Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Osh

For one person, living is cheaper in Osh: $705 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Osh
Learn more

Osh Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Osh

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$705

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $705 in Osh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Osh $705

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,140 in Osh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Osh $1,140

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,575 in Osh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Osh $1,575

Chiang Mai costs about 33% more than Osh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Osh are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Osh 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.55 KGS 398

-50.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$22.74 KGS 1,989

-16.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.99 KGS 786

-38.26%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.97 KGS 172

-15.23%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.83 KGS 72.4

-22.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.26 KGS 22.51

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.15 KGS 101

105.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.23 KGS 108

197.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.91 KGS 79.4

114.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.37 KGS 32.65

289.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.21 KGS 105

9.92%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.46 KGS 128

56.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$4.91 KGS 430

235.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.54 KGS 310

-21.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.82 KGS 684

19.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$0.62 KGS 54.4

279.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.53 KGS 134

-36.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.24 KGS 196

-28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.16 KGS 102

29.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.47 KGS 41.23

172.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.43 KGS 37.72

155.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.63 KGS 55.0

12.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.68 KGS 59.8

-27.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.08 KGS 182

99.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$5.00 KGS 438

250.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.16 KGS 102

38.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.73 KGS 151

60.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.22 KGS 19.12

295.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$11.95 KGS 1,045

352.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.22 KGS 19.22

427.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.34 KGS 29.51

55.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$7.83 KGS 685

-69.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.97 KGS 85.2

49.48%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$18.0K KGS 1.6M

16.72%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$17.1K KGS 1.5M

57.95%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$39.07 KGS 3,417

59.12%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$5.14 KGS 449

136.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$9.37 KGS 820

114.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$45.04 KGS 3,939

-17.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$19.70 KGS 1,723

-80.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.49 KGS 305

85.96%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$168 KGS 14.7K

338.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$1,886 KGS 164.9K

682.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$19.23 KGS 1,682

177.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$36.24 KGS 3,169

-32.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$54.3 KGS 4,749

68.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$50.8 KGS 4,441

41.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$355 KGS 31.1K

35.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$275 KGS 24.0K

12.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$922 KGS 80.6K

9.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$573 KGS 50.2K

10.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,219 KGS 106.6K

93.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,044 KGS 91.3K

52.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$302 KGS 26.4K

95.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Osh: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Osh

$275 38.9% 11.1% $34

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Osh

$139 19.7% 40.8% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Osh

$72 10.2% 33.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Osh

$54 7.6% 43.3% $41

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Osh

$100 14.1% 28.3% $22

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Osh

$15 2.1% 76% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Osh

$52 7.4% 3.4% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $355 in Osh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 96% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $23 in Osh. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $139 in Osh – so Osh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇬 Osh

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

14:54 2:54 PM

1 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

270,347

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 87.46 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 97.6 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Osh 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Osh

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 Osh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 33% more than Osh, 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 $1,058 in Osh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Osh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $355 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $168 in Osh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 69% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Osh, where all-in costs run around $705, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Osh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Osh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Osh. 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.