Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ulaanbaatar

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,192 in Ulaanbaatar, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Ulaanbaatar
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Ulaanbaatar Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Ulaanbaatar

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$1,192

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,192 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Ulaanbaatar $1,192

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,911 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Ulaanbaatar $1,911

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,630 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Ulaanbaatar $2,630

Chiang Mai is about 21% cheaper than Ulaanbaatar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Ulaanbaatar are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ulaanbaatar 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$5.41 MNT 19.5K

-58.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$31.92 MNT 114.7K

-40.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$5.61 MNT 20.2K

-1.07%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.36 MNT 8,485

-29.24%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.87 MNT 3,143

-26.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.58 MNT 2,073

-46.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.32 MNT 8,321

1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.40 MNT 12.2K

7.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.42 MNT 5,110

37.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.99 MNT 3,541

45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.16 MNT 7,760

-38.43%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.07 MNT 7,441

10.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$12.26 MNT 44.1K

34.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.75 MNT 17.1K

-41.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$6.62 MNT 23.8K

40.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.03 MNT 10.9K

-22.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.35 MNT 8,428

-58.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.70 MNT 13.3K

-56.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$3.01 MNT 10.8K

-50.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.70 MNT 2,525

82.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.04 MNT 3,723

5.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.72 MNT 6,182

-58.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.79 MNT 2,836

-37.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.63 MNT 5,867

153.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$10.41 MNT 37.4K

68.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.45 MNT 5,200

11.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.75 MNT 6,307

58.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.27 MNT 958

222.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$16.65 MNT 59.8K

224.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.51 MNT 1,844

127.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.55 MNT 1,986

-3.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$6.48 MNT 23.3K

-62.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.16 MNT 4,182

25.00%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$27.0K MNT 97.1M

-22.05%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$35.0K MNT 125.7M

-22.99%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$70.8 MNT 254.5K

-12.20%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$7.62 MNT 27.4K

59.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$13.84 MNT 49.7K

45.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$68.7 MNT 246.9K

-45.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$18.21 MNT 65.4K

-79.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

53.07%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$798 MNT 2.9M

-7.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$8,425 MNT 30.3M

75.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$83.1 MNT 298.6K

-35.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$44.52 MNT 160.0K

-44.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$102 MNT 366.6K

-10.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$186 MNT 668.4K

-61.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$636 MNT 2.3M

-24.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$469 MNT 1.7M

-34.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,633 MNT 5.9M

-38.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$985 MNT 3.5M

-35.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,751 MNT 6.3M

34.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,016 MNT 3.7M

56.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$589 MNT 2.1M

0.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.32

-46.03%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Ulaanbaatar

$469 39.4% 51.8% $160

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Ulaanbaatar

$233 19.5% 0.8% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Ulaanbaatar

$187 15.7% 72.1% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ulaanbaatar

$92 7.7% 2.3% $2.2

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Ulaanbaatar

$113 9.5% 45.2% $35

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ulaanbaatar

$21 1.8% 65.8% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ulaanbaatar

$77 6.5% 53.5% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $636 in Ulaanbaatar. 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 $32 in Ulaanbaatar. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $233 in Ulaanbaatar – so Ulaanbaatar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇳 Ulaanbaatar

🕒 Local time

06:00 6:00 AM

07:00 7:00 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,401,200 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,594 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,001 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.5 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Ulaanbaatar 3,320 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ulaanbaatar

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 Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulaanbaatar costs about 27% 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,788 in Ulaanbaatar. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $636 in Ulaanbaatar.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $32 in Ulaanbaatar. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 69% less in Ulaanbaatar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,192 in Ulaanbaatar. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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