Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Urganch

For one person, living is cheaper in Urganch: $412 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Urganch

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$412

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $412 in Urganch, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Urganch $412

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $699 in Urganch, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Urganch $699

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $985 in Urganch, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Urganch $985

Chiang Mai costs about 127% more than Urganch, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Urganch are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Urganch 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$3.82 UZS 45.7K

-41.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$28.96 UZS 346.9K

-34.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$3.70 UZS 44.3K

50.00%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$1.89 UZS 22.7K

-11.64%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.81 UZS 9,704

-20.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.24 UZS 2,873

29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.22 UZS 14.7K

93.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.94 UZS 11.2K

107.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.90 UZS 10.8K

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.50 UZS 17.9K

-11.33%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.91 UZS 22.9K

19.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$4.61 UZS 55.3K

256.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$4.68 UZS 56.0K

-40.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.12 UZS 85.2K

30.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$1.36 UZS 16.3K

72.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.80 UZS 21.6K

-46.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$2.57 UZS 30.8K

-37.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.14 UZS 25.6K

-29.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$0.73 UZS 8,734

75.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$0.48 UZS 5,728

129.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.76 UZS 9,161

-6.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.44 UZS 5,223

11.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.79 UZS 21.5K

131.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.28 UZS 3,342

210.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$0.32 UZS 3,782

262.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.43 UZS 5,189

23.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.22 UZS 14.6K

18.85%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

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

$12.17 ฿410

$3.49 UZS 41.8K

248.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$10.04 UZS 120.3K

100.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$14.04 UZS 168.3K

165.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.30 UZS 51.6K

50.93%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$12.69 UZS 152.0K

320.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$12.59 UZS 150.8K

95.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$42.20 UZS 505.6K

70.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$157 UZS 1.9M

207.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$127 UZS 1.5M

143.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$272 UZS 3.3M

269.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$211 UZS 2.5M

200.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$3,040 UZS 36.4M

-22.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$3,543 UZS 42.4M

-55.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$414 UZS 5.0M

42.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Urganch: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Urganch

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Urganch

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Urganch

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Urganch

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Urganch

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Urganch

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Urganch

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $157 in Urganch. 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 42% 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $29 in Urganch. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $141 in Urganch – so Urganch wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇿 Urganch

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

09:52 9:52 AM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

146,709

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 11,980 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD). 1 EUR = 13,427 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.45 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Urganch 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Urganch

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 Urganch: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 127% more than Urganch, 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 $618 in Urganch. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Urganch, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $157 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $412 in Urganch. That makes Urganch about 56% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 67% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $412 in Urganch to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Urganch. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.