Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Volzhsky Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Volzhsky

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $869 per month in Chiang Mai vs $683 in Volzhsky, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,362 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,092 in Volzhsky, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,855 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,501 in Volzhsky, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 27% more than Volzhsky, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Volzhsky are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Volzhsky 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$6.38 ₽462

-68.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$38.55 ₽2,793

-51.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$4.51 ₽327

71.84%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$1.87 ₽135

2.67%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.85 ₽61.4

-7.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.24 ₽17.34

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.05 ₽76.1

110.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.72 ₽125

112.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$1.00 ₽72.5

65.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.61 ₽44.03

167.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$0.79 ₽57.5

50.63%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$1.78 ₽129

12.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$11.35 ₽823

40.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$6.49 ₽471

-53.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

$8.32 ₽603

30.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.57 ₽113

75.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$1.67 ₽121

-29.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.55 ₽112

5.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$1.29 ₽93.5

17.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$1.15 ₽83.5

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$1.12 ₽81.4

6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.62 ₽44.87

12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.77 ₽55.8

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$1.67 ₽121

174.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$5.41 ₽392

206.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$0.78 ₽56.9

134.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$1.53 ₽111

109.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.61 ₽43.87

44.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$1.17 ₽84.7

16.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$0.35 ₽25.40

282.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$2.23 ₽162

251.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$1.00 ₽72.7

23.00%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$34.7K ₽2.5M

-37.63%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$36.0K ₽2.6M

-37.38%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$108 ₽7,806

-34.52%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$3.83 ₽277

257.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$3.73 ₽270

367.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$19.42 ₽1,407

112.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$20.71 ₽1,500

-66.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$4.33 ₽314

33.26%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$325 ₽23.6K

-5.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$6,908 ₽500.6K

111.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$69.6 ₽5,042

-19.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$31.24 ₽2,263

-16.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$50.8 ₽3,682

68.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$57.5 ₽4,165

25.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$192 ₽13.9K

124.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$151 ₽10.9K

58.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$323 ₽23.4K

153.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$252 ₽18.2K

102.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

$410 ₽29.7K

51.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

-52.38%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Last update for Volzhsky: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Chiang Mai versus $192 in Volzhsky. 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 51% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $39.00 in Volzhsky. Groceries tell a different story – $241 in Chiang Mai vs $184 in Volzhsky – so Volzhsky wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Volzhsky: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 27% more than Volzhsky, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,303 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,024 in Volzhsky. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $39.00 in Volzhsky. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $869 in Chiang Mai and $683 in Volzhsky, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Volzhsky costs $683 versus $869 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 Volzhsky. 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.