Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Samara

For one person, living is cheaper in Samara: $765 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Samara
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Samara Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Samara

🇷🇺 Russia

$765

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $765 in Samara, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Samara $765

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,253 in Samara, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Samara $1,253

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,741 in Samara, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Samara $1,741

Chiang Mai costs about 21% more than Samara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Samara are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Samara 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$8.57 ₽716

-73.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$43.02 ₽3,591

-54.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$5.21 ₽435

7.68%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.30 ₽192

-27.83%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.14 ₽94.9

-38.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.52 ₽43.42

-40.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.77 ₽148

36.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.97 ₽248

24.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.24 ₽104

57.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.05 ₽87.7

34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.62 ₽135

-19.14%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.53 ₽128

42.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$12.14 ₽1,013

37.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$7.07 ₽590

-60.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$7.47 ₽624

21.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$3.04 ₽254

-21.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.76 ₽147

-41.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$4.04 ₽337

-62.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.83 ₽68.9

55.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.38 ₽31.46

192.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.56 ₽46.44

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.51 ₽210

71.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.07 ₽89.5

47.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.46 ₽38.41

86.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$3.70 ₽309

-67.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$3.69 ₽308

-36.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.87 ₽72.9

65.52%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$51.7K ₽4.3M

-59.93%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$41.2K ₽3.4M

-34.92%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$140 ₽11.7K

-55.57%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$4.73 ₽395

156.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$13.93 ₽1,163

43.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$42.07 ₽3,511

-11.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$21.95 ₽1,832

-82.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$11.95 ₽997

-45.61%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$146 ₽12.1K

-63.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$78.9 ₽6,587

-68.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$158 ₽13.2K

-42.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$86.0 ₽7,176

-17.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,443 ₽203.9K

-20.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,601 ₽133.6K

-9.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

25.03

-77.75%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Samara: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Samara

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Samara

$191 * 25% 18.9% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Samara

$211 27.5% 94.8% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Samara

$159 20.8% 68.4% $65

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Samara

$133 17.4% 69.6% $55

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Samara

$5.5 * 0.7% 90.9% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Samara

$66 8.6% 31.8% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $43.00 in Samara. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $191 in Samara – so Samara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇺 Samara

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

20:12 8:12 PM

3 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,163,645

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Samara 5,650 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Samara

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 Samara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 21% more than Samara, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,148 in Samara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $925 in Chiang Mai and $765 in Samara. That's a gap of about 21%.

Groceries cost about 23% 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 Samara, where all-in costs run around $765, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Samara 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. Samara costs $765 versus $925 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 Samara. 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.