Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Quba Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Quba

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $476 in Quba, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Chiang Mai vs $787 in Quba, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,098 in Quba, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 79% more than Quba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Quba are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Quba 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$11.72 ₼19.93

-83.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$32.60 ₼55.4

-42.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$1.15 ₼1.95

66.09%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.49 ₼0.84

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.30 ₼0.52

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.32 ₼2.24

67.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.40 ₼0.68

305.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$1.19 ₼2.02

-0.84%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$1.73 ₼2.95

818.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$2.99 ₼5.08

0.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

$9.00 ₼15.31

19.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$0.68 ₼1.15

283.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$1.26 ₼2.14

-3.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$1.78 ₼3.03

-4.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$1.96 ₼3.33

-19.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.85 ₼1.45

55.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$0.49 ₼0.84

138.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.58 ₼0.98

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$10.19 ₼17.32

78.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.26 ₼2.14

45.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.25 ₼0.42

256.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$1.21 ₼2.05

11.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.57 ₼0.97

136.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$2.97 ₼5.05

177.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$0.63 ₼1.07

101.59%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

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

$13.77 ฿450

$14.64 ₼24.89

-5.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$14.86 ₼25.26

18.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$37.66 ₼64.0

10.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$4.02 ₼6.83

43.78%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$17.72 ₼30.13

206.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$29.94 ₼50.9

-12.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$35.15 ₼59.8

97.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$176 ₼299

140.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$120 ₼204

98.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$263 ₼446

214.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$178 ₼303

188.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$206 ₼349

209.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-75.00%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Quba: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Chiang Mai versus $176 in Quba. 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 209% 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 $33.00 in Quba. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $121 in Quba – so Quba 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 Quba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 79% more than Quba, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,278 per month in Chiang Mai and $715 in Quba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $852 in Chiang Mai and $476 in Quba. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Groceries cost about 101% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $476 in Quba, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Quba costs $476 versus $852 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 Quba. 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.