Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Varamin

For one person, living is cheaper in Varamin: $581 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Varamin
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Varamin Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Varamin

🇮🇷 Iran

$581

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $581 in Varamin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Varamin $581

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $889 in Varamin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Varamin $889

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,198 in Varamin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Varamin $1,198

Chiang Mai costs about 61% more than Varamin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Varamin are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Varamin 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.45 $3.45

-35.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$16.31 $16.31

16.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.04 $4.04

37.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.67 $0.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.31 $1.31

27.48%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.53 $0.53

20.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.65 $1.65

-81.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.66 $0.66

195.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.57 $0.57

152.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$3.31 $3.31

-59.82%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.29 $1.29

76.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$4.33 $4.33

279.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.27 $3.27

-14.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.26 $10.26

-9.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.39 $1.39

69.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.85 $1.85

-47.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.18 $1.18

35.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.63 $0.63

138.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.56 $0.56

128.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.48 $0.48

129.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.58 $0.58

22.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.30 $0.30

63.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.78 $0.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.46 $2.46

68.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.17 $0.17

411.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$10.65 $10.65

407.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.52 $0.52

123.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.29 $0.29

82.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$3.04 $3.04

-20.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.10 $0.10

1350.00%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$50.8K $50.8K

-58.58%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$45.6K $45.6K

-40.87%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$12.97 $12.97

379.34%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$1.58 $1.58

670.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$4.00 $4.00

403.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$18.84 $18.84

98.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$14.58 $14.58

-74.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$1.94 $1.94

234.54%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$110 $110

570.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$2,560 $2,560

476.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$26.76 $26.76

99.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$37.37 $37.37

-34.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$116 $116

-20.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$72.5 $72.5

-0.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$318 $318

51.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$223 $223

38.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$813 $813

23.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$326 $326

94.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,188 $1,188

98.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$546 $546

191.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.79

-77.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Varamin: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Varamin

$223 38.5% 27.7% $86

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Varamin

$125 21.6% 46.5% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Varamin

$114 19.6% 4.5% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Varamin

$19 3.2% 80.4% $76

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Varamin

$64 11% 17.4% $13

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Varamin

$13 2.3% 78.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Varamin

$23 3.9% 54.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $318 in Varamin. 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 $16 in Varamin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $125 – making Varamin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇷 Varamin

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

18:04 6:04 PM

3 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

225,628

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Varamin 4,980 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Varamin

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 Varamin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 61% more than Varamin, 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 $871 in Varamin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varamin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $318 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $110 in Varamin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 87% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $581 in Varamin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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

For expats, Varamin is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 38% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.