Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Serpukhov

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,212 in Serpukhov, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Serpukhov
Learn more

Serpukhov Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Serpukhov

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,212 in Serpukhov, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Serpukhov $1,212

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,885 in Serpukhov, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Serpukhov $1,885

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,559 in Serpukhov, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Serpukhov $2,559

Chiang Mai is about 24% cheaper than Serpukhov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Serpukhov are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Serpukhov 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$12.30 ₽1,026

-81.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$60.5 ₽5,049

-67.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.42 ₽619

-24.39%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.37 ₽198

-29.96%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.88 ₽73.4

-20.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.63 ₽52.4

-50.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$0.94 ₽78.4

156.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$1.18 ₽98.6

214.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.12 ₽93.4

74.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.71 ₽59.3

98.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.69 ₽141

-22.49%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.88 ₽73.6

147.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$14.72 ₽1,228

13.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$6.71 ₽560

-58.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$15.16 ₽1,265

-39.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.13 ₽178

12.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.81 ₽151

-43.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.00 ₽167

-18.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$4.15 ₽347

-63.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.97 ₽81.2

32.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.77 ₽64.4

44.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.65 ₽138

-56.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.95 ₽79.2

-44.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.49 ₽291

23.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$5.90 ₽492

204.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.01 ₽84.0

56.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.24 ₽104

129.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.55 ₽45.71

56.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$2.44 ₽203

-50.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.38 ₽31.41

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$6.48 ₽541

-63.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.83 ₽69.0

73.49%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$41.7K ₽3.5M

-50.34%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$39.4K ₽3.3M

-32.06%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$188 ₽15.7K

-66.89%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$7.04 ₽588

72.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$9.72 ₽811

105.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$35.92 ₽2,998

3.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$26.04 ₽2,173

-85.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$4.17 ₽348

55.88%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$351 ₽29.3K

125.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$6,403 ₽534.4K

131.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$113 ₽9,414

-52.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$66.9 ₽5,586

-63.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$149 ₽12.4K

-38.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$186 ₽15.6K

-61.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$468 ₽39.0K

-2.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$318 ₽26.6K

-6.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$983 ₽82.1K

-7.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$493 ₽41.2K

12.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,590 ₽216.2K

-25.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,573 ₽131.3K

-8.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

19.56

-71.52%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Serpukhov: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Serpukhov

$318 26.3% 6.9% $20

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Serpukhov

$244 20.1% 3.5% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Serpukhov

$232 19.1% 114% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Serpukhov

$205 16.9% 117% $111

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Serpukhov

$162 13.4% 106% $84

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Serpukhov

$6.5 * 0.5% 89.3% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Serpukhov

$44 3.7% 11.6% $5.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $468 in Serpukhov. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $60.0 in Serpukhov. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $244 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇺 Serpukhov

🕒 Local time

19:43 7:43 PM

15:43 3:43 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

124,897

💱 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 Serpukhov 6,500 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Serpukhov

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 Serpukhov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Serpukhov costs about 31% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,818 in Serpukhov. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $60.0 in Serpukhov. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Serpukhov, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Serpukhov at $1,212. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Serpukhov it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,212 in Serpukhov. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Serpukhov makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.