Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zaqatala

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaqatala: $347 a month against $906 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Zaqatala
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Zaqatala Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Zaqatala

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $347 in Zaqatala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $906
Zaqatala $347

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $581 in Zaqatala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Zaqatala $581

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $815 in Zaqatala, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Zaqatala $815

Chiang Mai costs about 161% more than Zaqatala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Zaqatala are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Zaqatala 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$4.61 ₼7.83

-53.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿649

$20.76 ₼35.28

-6.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿183

$5.26 ₼8.94

3.99%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.4

$2.33 ₼3.97

-27.90%

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

$0.66 ฿22.10

$0.56 ₼0.96

17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.52

$0.52 ₼0.88

-34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.0

$1.71 ₼2.90

41.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

$2.97 ₼5.05

25.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$0.97 ₼1.66

112.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.78

$0.42 ₼0.72

247.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.09

$2.28 ₼3.87

-40.79%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.0

$1.38 ₼2.35

64.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿546

$3.62 ₼6.16

350.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.3

$2.42 ₼4.11

11.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿308

$8.17 ₼13.89

12.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.1

$0.80 ₼1.35

198.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.66

$1.15 ₼1.96

-9.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.7

$0.58 ₼0.98

175.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.37

$0.72 ₼1.23

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.59

$0.30 ₼0.51

333.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.29

$0.37 ₼0.63

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.55

$0.92 ₼1.57

-23.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.99

$0.60 ₼1.02

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿138

$1.74 ₼2.96

137.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

$8.97 ₼15.24

98.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.7

$1.15 ₼1.96

41.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.0

$2.03 ₼3.45

41.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.76

$0.18 ₼0.30

377.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.81

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.81

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$0.67 ₼1.13

123.88%

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

$20.9K ฿698.3K

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

$26.7K ฿895.0K

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

$61.3 ฿2,051

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

$12.50 ฿419

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿682

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,270

$33.15 ₼56.3

14.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿221

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

$774 ฿25.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿483.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,835

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿846

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,032

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,453

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$116 ₼198

294.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,835

$81.7 ₼139

259.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.8K

$235 ₼400

290.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$145 ₼246

281.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.8K

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 5, 2026

Last update for Zaqatala: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Zaqatala

$82 23.5% 72.2% $212

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Zaqatala

$133 38.3% 43.6% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Zaqatala

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Zaqatala

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Zaqatala

$99 28.6% 28.7% $22

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Zaqatala

$0.7 * 0.2% 98.8% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Zaqatala

$33 * 9.5% 35.2% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Chiang Mai versus $116 in Zaqatala. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $21.00 in Zaqatala. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Chiang Mai vs $133 in Zaqatala – so Zaqatala wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇦🇿 Zaqatala

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

18:22 6:22 PM

3 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

21,800

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Azerbaijani Manat AZN ₼

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 AZN = 0.588 USD

1 AZN = 0.525 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AZN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.9 AZN (1 AZN = 0.525 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Zaqatala 5,530 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Zaqatala

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 Zaqatala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 161% more than Zaqatala, 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 $1,359 per month in Chiang Mai and $520 in Zaqatala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zaqatala, 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 $906 in Chiang Mai and $347 in Zaqatala. That's a gap of about 161%.

Groceries cost about 77% 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 Zaqatala, where all-in costs run around $347, than in Chiang Mai at $906. In Zaqatala 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. Zaqatala costs $347 versus $906 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 Zaqatala. 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.