Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zhlobin

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhlobin: $631 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Zhlobin
🇧🇾 Belarus
$631
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $631 in Zhlobin, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $925
  • Zhlobin $631

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,082 in Zhlobin, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,414
  • Zhlobin $1,082

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,534 in Zhlobin, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,903
  • Zhlobin $1,534

Chiang Mai costs about 47% more than Zhlobin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Zhlobin are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Zhlobin 53% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Zhlobin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.29 ฿76.5
$9.90 BYN 29.69
-76.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.64 ฿656
$49.61 BYN 149
-60.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.61 ฿188
$6.85 BYN 20.56
-18.10%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿55.6
$2.29 BYN 6.88
-27.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ฿23.40
$0.94 BYN 2.82
-25.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.24
$0.58 BYN 1.75
-46.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.41 ฿80.4
$1.62 BYN 4.87
48.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.71 ฿124
$2.52 BYN 7.56
47.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Zhlobin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.3
$0.94 BYN 2.83
107.45%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.03
$0.71 BYN 2.14
98.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.31 ฿43.62
$1.34 BYN 4.01
-2.24%
Eggs
$2.18 ฿72.9
$1.61 BYN 4.84
35.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.65 ฿556
$7.55 BYN 22.66
120.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.76 ฿92.2
$5.29 BYN 15.86
-47.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.11 ฿304
$10.94 BYN 32.82
-16.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.39 ฿80.0
$1.52 BYN 4.57
57.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.03 ฿34.26
$1.76 BYN 5.28
-41.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.63 ฿54.4
$2.14 BYN 6.42
-23.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.0
$2.70 BYN 8.10
-44.44%
Potato (1kg)
$1.29 ฿43.13
$0.69 BYN 2.06
86.96%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 ฿37.03
$0.72 BYN 2.17
54.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 ฿24.08
$1.44 BYN 4.32
-50.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 ฿17.59
$0.62 BYN 1.85
-14.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.31 ฿144
$2.67 BYN 8.00
61.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.95 ฿600
$8.52 BYN 25.55
110.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 ฿52.9
$1.00 BYN 2.99
58.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.0
$2.05 BYN 6.14
38.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Zhlobin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.86 ฿28.86
$0.32 BYN 0.96
168.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.3 ฿1,780
$14.74 BYN 44.21
261.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.21 ฿40.29
$1.69 BYN 5.06
-28.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 ฿18.99
$0.49 BYN 1.46
16.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.35 ฿78.6
$9.90 BYN 29.71
-76.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 ฿47.96
$0.87 BYN 2.60
65.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K ฿692.8K
$21.7K BYN 65.2K
-4.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K ฿895.7K
$22.6K BYN 67.9K
18.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Zhlobin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.3 ฿2,083
$60.9 BYN 183
2.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.11 ฿405
$8.41 BYN 25.23
44.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.94 ฿666
$13.56 BYN 40.69
47.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Zhlobin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.07 ฿1,239
$36.50 BYN 110
1.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.78 ฿126
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.50 ฿217
$6.05 BYN 18.14
7.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Zhlobin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$793 ฿26.5K
$404 BYN 1,212
96.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿494.9K
$23.9K BYN 71.6K
-37.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Zhlobin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 ฿1,796
$50.9 BYN 153
5.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.62 ฿823
$44.64 BYN 134
-44.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.9 ฿3,036
$107 BYN 320
-14.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.1 ฿2,378
$108 BYN 324
-34.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Zhlobin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$455 ฿15.2K
$350 BYN 1,051
30.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$298 ฿9,954
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$908 ฿30.4K
$581 BYN 1,743
56.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$554 ฿18.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,931 ฿64.5K
$1,137 BYN 3,410
69.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,445 ฿48.3K
$907 BYN 2,720
59.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Zhlobin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$591 ฿19.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
15.93
-65.03%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Zhlobin: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$298
Zhlobin
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$235
Zhlobin
$193 17.9% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Zhlobin
$140 29% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Zhlobin
$83 12.2% $12
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$79
Zhlobin
$146 86.4% $68
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Zhlobin
$20 66.9% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Zhlobin
$49 2.9% $1.5

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 $350 in Zhlobin. 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $50.0 in Zhlobin. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $193 in Zhlobin – so Zhlobin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇧🇾 Zhlobin
🕒 Local time
05:09 5:09 AM
01:09 1:09 AM
4 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
76,220
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BYN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

Belarusian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3 BYN (1 BYN = 0.333 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 BYN (1 BYN = 0.297 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Zhlobin 6,950 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Zhlobin

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 Zhlobin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Zhlobin?
Chiang Mai costs about 47% more than Zhlobin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Zhlobin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $946 in Zhlobin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Zhlobin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhlobin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Zhlobin?
Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $404 in Zhlobin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Zhlobin?
Groceries cost about 22% 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.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Chiang Mai or in Zhlobin?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhlobin, where all-in costs run around $631, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Zhlobin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or Zhlobin?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Zhlobin costs $631 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Zhlobin?
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.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Zhlobin?
If budget matters most, go with Zhlobin. 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.

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