Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Rahim Yar Khan

For one person, living is cheaper in Rahim Yar Khan: $444 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Rahim Yar Khan
Learn more

Rahim Yar Khan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Rahim Yar Khan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Rahim Yar Khan

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 Rahim Yar Khan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $444 in Rahim Yar Khan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Rahim Yar Khan $444

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $643 in Rahim Yar Khan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Rahim Yar Khan $643

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $843 in Rahim Yar Khan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Rahim Yar Khan $843

Chiang Mai costs about 111% more than Rahim Yar Khan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Rahim Yar Khan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Rahim Yar Khan 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$1.41 PKR 389

51.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$10.64 PKR 2,944

75.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$4.56 PKR 1,262

22.81%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 PKR 766

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 PKR 1,489

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.81 PKR 225

104.94%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$0.28 PKR 76.9

132.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.19 PKR 52.5

57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$0.67 PKR 186

201.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$0.44 PKR 120

220.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$0.65 PKR 181

113.85%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$1.09 PKR 302

117.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$3.29 PKR 909

402.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$2.49 PKR 689

7.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$4.44 PKR 1,229

103.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$0.46 PKR 128

421.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$0.34 PKR 94.8

205.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$0.52 PKR 143

219.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$0.37 PKR 103

321.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$0.35 PKR 95.7

254.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$0.26 PKR 71.4

319.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$0.17 PKR 48.38

347.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.27 PKR 73.7

88.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.85 PKR 513

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 PKR 818

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.11 PKR 585

95.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$0.13 PKR 34.90

615.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$0.75 PKR 208

57.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.34 PKR 94.7

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.33 PKR 643

-22.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$1.17 PKR 325

25.64%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$25.3K PKR 7.0M

-17.11%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$22.8K PKR 6.3M

16.54%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$146 PKR 40.4K

-57.19%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$5.06 PKR 1,400

129.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$14.34 PKR 3,968

41.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$7.30 PKR 2,018

418.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$18.20 PKR 5,036

-79.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$4.42 PKR 1,224

47.29%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$19.40 PKR 5,368

3647.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$1,011 PKR 279.5K

1540.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$10.93 PKR 3,023

389.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$18.29 PKR 5,059

35.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$91.6 PKR 25.3K

-1.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$25.66 PKR 7,097

180.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$126 PKR 34.9K

281.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$89.0 PKR 24.6K

248.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$276 PKR 76.3K

283.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$181 PKR 50.0K

264.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$551 PKR 152.5K

338.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$451 PKR 124.8K

256.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$90.5 PKR 25.0K

557.05%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Rahim Yar Khan: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Rahim Yar Khan

$89 20.1% 71.3% $221

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Rahim Yar Khan

$67 15.2% 71.5% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Rahim Yar Khan

$66 14.9% 39.1% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Rahim Yar Khan

$166 37.3% 75.3% $71

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Rahim Yar Khan

$37 8.2% 52.2% $40

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Rahim Yar Khan

$3 * 0.7% 94.9% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Rahim Yar Khan

$16 3.6% 68.3% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $126 in Rahim Yar Khan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 6.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $11 in Rahim Yar Khan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $67 – making Rahim Yar Khan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Rahim Yar Khan

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

05:58 5:58 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

420,419

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Rahim Yar Khan 3,100 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Rahim Yar Khan

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 Rahim Yar Khan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 111% more than Rahim Yar Khan, 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 $665 in Rahim Yar Khan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rahim Yar Khan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $126 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $11 in Rahim Yar Khan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 251% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Rahim Yar Khan, where all-in costs run around $444, than in Chiang Mai at $935. In Rahim Yar Khan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Rahim Yar Khan. 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.