Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sheikhupura

For one person, living is cheaper in Sheikhupura: $520 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Sheikhupura
Learn more

Sheikhupura Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Sheikhupura

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $520 in Sheikhupura, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Sheikhupura $520

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $819 in Sheikhupura, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Sheikhupura $819

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,119 in Sheikhupura, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Sheikhupura $1,119

Chiang Mai costs about 80% more than Sheikhupura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Sheikhupura are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Sheikhupura 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$3.57 PKR 985

-40.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$23.07 PKR 6,375

-19.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$5.55 PKR 1,533

0.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 PKR 975

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 PKR 1,918

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.55 PKR 706

-34.90%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$0.32 PKR 88.3

103.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$0.21 PKR 57.9

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$0.99 PKR 274

104.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$0.74 PKR 203

90.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$1.26 PKR 348

10.32%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$1.28 PKR 352

85.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$6.00 PKR 1,658

175.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$3.02 PKR 835

-11.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$5.34 PKR 1,475

68.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.29 PKR 356

86.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$0.87 PKR 239

19.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$1.07 PKR 295

55.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$0.53 PKR 146

194.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$0.27 PKR 73.9

359.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$0.38 PKR 106

186.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$0.30 PKR 83.8

153.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.39 PKR 109

30.77%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.86 PKR 515

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 PKR 341

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$2.34 PKR 646

76.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.19 PKR 51.5

389.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$9.90 PKR 2,737

434.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$1.28 PKR 355

-7.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.68 PKR 189

-75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.61 PKR 445

12.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.36 PKR 377

8.09%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$21.3K PKR 5.9M

-1.47%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

14.61%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$101 PKR 28.0K

-38.22%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$5.94 PKR 1,642

95.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$16.74 PKR 4,627

21.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$14.72 PKR 4,069

157.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$8.23 PKR 2,274

-55.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$4.76 PKR 1,314

36.76%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$43.17 PKR 11.9K

1584.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$1,052 PKR 290.8K

1475.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$26.44 PKR 7,307

102.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$34.46 PKR 9,525

-28.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$98.3 PKR 27.2K

-8.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$41.10 PKR 11.4K

75.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$135 PKR 37.2K

257.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$85.4 PKR 23.6K

262.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$266 PKR 73.6K

297.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$180 PKR 49.7K

266.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$816 PKR 225.6K

196.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$512 PKR 141.6K

214.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.08

-57.42%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sheikhupura: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Sheikhupura

$85 16.4% 72.4% $225

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Sheikhupura

$103 19.7% 56.7% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Sheikhupura

$90 17.4% 16.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Sheikhupura

$124 23.9% 31.2% $29

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Sheikhupura

$78 15% 1.8% $1.4

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Sheikhupura

$15 3% 73.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Sheikhupura

$24 4.7% 52.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $135 in Sheikhupura. 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $23 in Sheikhupura. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $103 in Sheikhupura – so Sheikhupura wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇰 Sheikhupura

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

05:57 5:57 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

473,129

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 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 = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sheikhupura 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sheikhupura

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 Sheikhupura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 80% more than Sheikhupura, 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 $779 in Sheikhupura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sheikhupura, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $135 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $43 in Sheikhupura. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 131% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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