Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Rasht

For one person, living is cheaper in Rasht: $472 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Rasht
Learn more

Rasht Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Rasht

🇮🇷 Iran

$472

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $472 in Rasht, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Rasht $472

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $729 in Rasht, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Rasht $729

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $986 in Rasht, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Rasht $986

Chiang Mai costs about 98% more than Rasht, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Rasht are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Rasht 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$3.41 $3.41

-34.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$16.13 $16.13

17.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.07 $4.07

36.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.71 $0.71

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$1.38 $1.38

21.01%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.51 $0.51

25.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.98 $0.98

-68.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.54 $0.54

261.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.49 $0.49

193.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.85 $1.85

-28.11%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.29 $1.29

76.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$4.40 $4.40

273.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.59 $2.59

7.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.96 $8.96

3.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$0.76 $0.76

209.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.33 $1.33

-27.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$0.74 $0.74

116.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.48 $0.48

212.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$0.48 $0.48

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$0.50 $0.50

120.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.34 $0.34

108.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.26 $0.26

88.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.78 $0.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 $0.24

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 $1.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.67 $1.67

147.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.17 $0.17

411.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$11.20 $11.20

382.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$0.52 $0.52

123.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.22 $0.22

140.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$1.54 $1.54

57.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$0.09 $0.09

1511.11%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$49.8K $49.8K

-57.68%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$45.2K $45.2K

-40.33%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$12.79 $12.79

386.08%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$1.54 $1.54

690.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$4.00 $4.00

403.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$18.38 $18.38

102.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$11.92 $11.92

-68.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$1.02 $1.02

536.27%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$82.4 $82.4

792.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$2,603 $2,603

467.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$16.10 $16.10

231.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$25.27 $25.27

-2.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$109 $109

-15.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$73.3 $73.3

-1.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$209 $209

130.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$158 $158

95.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$381 $381

163.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$213 $213

197.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$1,238 $1,238

90.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$629 $629

152.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$215 $215

174.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-70.68%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rasht: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Rasht

$158 33.4% 49% $151

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Rasht

$100 21.1% 57.4% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Rasht

$100 21.3% 7.5% $8.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Rasht

$18 3.9% 80.6% $76

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Rasht

$62 13.1% 20.1% $16

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Rasht

$13 2.9% 78% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Rasht

$20 4.3% 59.4% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $209 in Rasht. 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 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $16 in Rasht. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $100 – making Rasht the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇷 Rasht

🕒 Local time

10:09 10:09 AM

06:39 6:39 AM

3 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

679,995

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Rasht 5,200 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Rasht

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 Rasht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 98% more than Rasht, 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 $708 in Rasht. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rasht, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $82 in Rasht. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 135% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Rasht, where all-in costs run around $472, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Rasht it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rasht – 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 Rasht. 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.