Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Pokhara

For one person, living is cheaper in Pokhara: $495 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Pokhara
Learn more

Pokhara Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Pokhara

🇳🇵 Nepal

$495

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $495 in Pokhara, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Pokhara $495

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $758 in Pokhara, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Pokhara $758

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,021 in Pokhara, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Pokhara $1,021

Chiang Mai costs about 89% more than Pokhara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Pokhara are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Pokhara 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.56 NPR 389

-11.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$13.29 NPR 2,019

44.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$6.67 NPR 1,014

-16.19%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.08 NPR 165

59.26%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.51 NPR 77.9

25.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.16 NPR 23.58

106.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.55 NPR 387

-7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$3.57 NPR 542

9.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.82 NPR 124

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.67 NPR 102

108.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.66 NPR 100

93.94%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.79 NPR 273

25.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$5.74 NPR 872

195.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$3.09 NPR 470

-11.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$5.66 NPR 860

65.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.52 NPR 383

-4.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.25 NPR 190

-19.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.19 NPR 181

35.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.65 NPR 99.5

133.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.41 NPR 62.1

212.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.86 NPR 131

29.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.40 NPR 60.6

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.29 NPR 44.57

79.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.58 NPR 392

67.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$10.94 NPR 1,662

62.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.40 NPR 364

-32.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.78 NPR 574

-24.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.20 NPR 30.36

325.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$19.35 NPR 2,940

178.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.59 NPR 241

-26.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.76 NPR 115

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$2.59 NPR 394

-8.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.18 NPR 179

22.88%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$32.5K NPR 4.9M

-37.07%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$34.9K NPR 5.3M

-23.95%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$64.4 NPR 9,782

-3.18%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$5.20 NPR 790

135.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$6.95 NPR 1,056

187.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$19.67 NPR 2,989

92.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$8.40 NPR 1,276

-55.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$2.48 NPR 377

170.56%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$48.45 NPR 7,362

1545.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$1,976 NPR 300.2K

650.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$18.79 NPR 2,854

183.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$36.53 NPR 5,550

-31.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$35.20 NPR 5,348

160.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$30.88 NPR 4,692

137.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$128 NPR 19.4K

263.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$85.9 NPR 13.1K

254.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$240 NPR 36.4K

282.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$161 NPR 24.5K

243.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,801 NPR 273.6K

6.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$603 NPR 91.6K

138.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$180 NPR 27.4K

230.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.5

-55.44%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Pokhara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Pokhara

$86 17.4% 71.8% $219

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Pokhara

$152 30.7% 36.1% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Pokhara

$55 11% 50.1% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Pokhara

$77 15.5% 19.1% $18

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Pokhara

$76 15.4% 3.8% $3

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Pokhara

$26 5.2% 58.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Pokhara

$25 5% 52% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $128 in Pokhara. 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 230% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $13.00 in Pokhara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $152 – making Pokhara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇵 Pokhara

🕒 Local time

23:08 11:08 PM

21:53 9:53 PM

1 h 15 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

500,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Pokhara 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Pokhara

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 Pokhara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 89% more than Pokhara, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $743 in Pokhara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $48.45 in Pokhara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pokhara, where all-in costs run around $495, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Pokhara 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. Pokhara costs $495 versus $938 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 Pokhara. 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.