Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Qarshi

For one person, living is cheaper in Qarshi: $569 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Qarshi

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $569 in Qarshi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Qarshi $569

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $877 in Qarshi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Qarshi $877

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,186 in Qarshi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Qarshi $1,186

Chiang Mai costs about 64% more than Qarshi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Qarshi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Qarshi 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$10.12 UZS 121.1K

-78.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$16.78 UZS 200.9K

10.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$9.33 UZS 111.7K

-39.98%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$0.98 UZS 11.7K

69.39%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$0.52 UZS 6,190

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$0.19 UZS 2,282

57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$0.69 UZS 8,317

236.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.21 UZS 14.4K

66.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$0.44 UZS 5,268

220.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$1.19 UZS 14.3K

16.81%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$1.53 UZS 18.3K

54.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$10.09 UZS 120.8K

63.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$3.26 UZS 39.0K

-18.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$10.79 UZS 129.2K

-16.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$1.11 UZS 13.3K

116.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.68 UZS 20.2K

-38.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.86 UZS 22.2K

-10.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$1.27 UZS 15.2K

22.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$0.48 UZS 5,790

158.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$0.24 UZS 2,872

354.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$0.43 UZS 5,160

18.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$3.31 UZS 39.7K

24.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$0.26 UZS 3,141

257.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$9.75 UZS 116.8K

442.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$0.35 UZS 4,132

-51.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$1.33 UZS 16.0K

10.53%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$66.0 UZS 790.9K

-5.27%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$3.85 UZS 46.1K

201.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$12.42 UZS 148.8K

63.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$34.04 UZS 407.6K

11.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

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

$727 ฿24.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$4,537 UZS 54.3M

265.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$277 UZS 3.3M

73.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$170 UZS 2.0M

82.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$426 UZS 5.1M

148.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$308 UZS 3.7M

113.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$346 UZS 4.1M

71.94%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Qarshi: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Qarshi

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Qarshi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Qarshi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Qarshi

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Qarshi

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Qarshi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Qarshi

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $277 in Qarshi. 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 72% 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 $17 in Qarshi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $143 – making Qarshi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇿 Qarshi

🕒 Local time

04:54 4:54 AM

02:54 2:54 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

289,600

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, 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).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 11,975 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD). 1 EUR = 13,383 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.47 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Chiang Mai Qarshi 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Chiang Mai
Qarshi

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 Qarshi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 64% more than Qarshi, 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 $853 in Qarshi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qarshi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $277 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Public transport costs about 82% less in Qarshi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 66% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $569 in Qarshi to $935 in Chiang Mai. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Qarshi. 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.