Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ulyanovsk

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Ulyanovsk: $925 and $898 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Ulyanovsk
Learn more

Ulyanovsk Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Ulyanovsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$898

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $898 in Ulyanovsk, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Ulyanovsk $898

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,386 in Ulyanovsk, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Ulyanovsk $1,386

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,874 in Ulyanovsk, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Ulyanovsk $1,874

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Ulyanovsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Ulyanovsk are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Ulyanovsk 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$8.40 ₽701

-72.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$30.41 ₽2,538

-35.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$6.44 ₽538

-12.89%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.29 ₽191

-27.51%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.93 ₽77.8

-24.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.36 ₽29.97

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.76 ₽147

36.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$1.96 ₽164

89.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.04 ₽86.9

87.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.62 ₽51.3

127.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.04 ₽87.2

25.96%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.49 ₽124

46.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$14.58 ₽1,217

14.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$7.43 ₽620

-62.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$7.35 ₽613

23.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.59 ₽133

50.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.55 ₽129

-33.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$4.05 ₽338

-59.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$4.90 ₽409

-69.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.49 ₽124

-13.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.84 ₽70.0

32.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.53 ₽44.15

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.09 ₽258

39.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.07 ₽89.2

47.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.44 ₽36.70

95.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$3.52 ₽294

-65.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$3.61 ₽301

-34.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.87 ₽72.5

65.52%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$53.4K ₽4.5M

-61.16%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$41.0K ₽3.4M

-34.57%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$141 ₽11.8K

-55.87%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$4.81 ₽401

151.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$13.69 ₽1,143

45.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$36.46 ₽3,043

1.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$24.86 ₽2,075

-84.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$8.51 ₽711

-23.62%

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

$30.17 ₽2,518

78.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$35.74 ₽2,983

-31.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$95.2 ₽7,942

-4.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$59.7 ₽4,979

19.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$362 ₽30.2K

25.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$243 ₽20.3K

22.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$493 ₽41.1K

84.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$431 ₽36.0K

28.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,620 ₽218.7K

-26.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,519 ₽126.7K

-4.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$509 ₽42.5K

16.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-75.78%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ulyanovsk: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Ulyanovsk

$243 27.1% 18.4% $55

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Ulyanovsk

$205 * 22.9% 12.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Ulyanovsk

$99 11.1% 8.2% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Ulyanovsk

$160 17.8% 69.2% $65

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Ulyanovsk

$132 14.7% 67.8% $53

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ulyanovsk

$5.3 * 0.6% 91.3% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ulyanovsk

$53 6% 6.9% $3.4

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 $362 in Ulyanovsk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 16% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $30.00 in Ulyanovsk. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $205 in Ulyanovsk – so Ulyanovsk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇺 Ulyanovsk

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

17:32 5:32 PM

3 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

627,705

💱 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

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Ulyanovsk 5,810 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ulyanovsk

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 Ulyanovsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Ulyanovsk, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,347 in Ulyanovsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $925 in Chiang Mai and $898 in Ulyanovsk. That's a gap of about 3%.

Groceries cost about 15% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ulyanovsk, where all-in costs run around $898, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Ulyanovsk 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. Ulyanovsk costs $898 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 Ulyanovsk. 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.