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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $847 per month in Chiang Mai vs $934 in Zlatoust, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,332 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,445 in Zlatoust, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,816 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,955 in Zlatoust, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 9% cheaper than Zlatoust, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Zlatoust are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 37% lower, Zlatoust 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.03 ฿68.4

$6.38 ₽495

-68.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿630

$38.62 ₽2,998

-51.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 ฿264

$5.55 ₽431

41.26%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ฿64.9

$2.26 ₽175

-14.60%

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

$0.83 ฿28.00

$1.13 ₽87.7

-26.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.80

$0.52 ₽40.31

-32.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 ฿74.8

$1.37 ₽107

62.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿128

$2.50 ₽194

51.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.4

$1.11 ₽86.5

48.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ฿52.3

$0.70 ₽54.6

121.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿39.79

$1.39 ₽108

-15.11%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿67.9

$1.76 ₽137

14.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.16 ฿544

$10.89 ₽845

48.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿102

$4.80 ₽373

-36.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿365

$8.63 ₽670

25.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿90.3

$1.73 ₽134

54.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿41.14

$1.90 ₽148

-35.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.8

$1.92 ₽149

-15.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.5

$2.71 ₽211

-43.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 ฿45.10

$0.85 ₽65.6

57.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿40.86

$0.70 ₽54.6

72.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.63

$1.41 ₽109

-50.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.70

$0.68 ₽52.6

-22.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿158

$3.01 ₽234

55.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.71 ฿597

$5.49 ₽426

222.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 ฿62.2

$0.93 ₽72.4

98.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ฿108

$1.91 ₽148

68.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿30.01

$0.50 ₽38.65

78.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.76 ฿632

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.40

$1.85 ₽143

-23.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿43.52

$0.35 ₽27.27

268.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 ฿262

$6.30 ₽489

23.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿43.59

$0.78 ₽60.5

65.38%

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

$21.8K ฿733.4K

$33.7K ₽2.6M

-35.32%

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

$21.7K ฿730.7K

$35.7K ₽2.8M

-39.20%

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

$70.0 ฿2,358

$110 ₽8,548

-36.43%

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

$14.19 ฿478

$5.99 ₽465

136.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.42 ฿587

$7.63 ₽593

128.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.64 ฿1,403

$35.37 ₽2,746

17.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.89 ฿232

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿195

$5.06 ₽393

14.23%

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

$300 ฿10.1K

$320 ₽24.9K

-6.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ฿489.2K

$7,016 ₽544.8K

106.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ฿1,865

$71.2 ₽5,528

-22.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.31 ฿886

$45.01 ₽3,495

-41.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,858

$115 ₽8,913

-26.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,375

$108 ₽8,363

-34.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 ฿14.3K

$453 ₽35.2K

-6.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ฿7,919

$301 ₽23.3K

-21.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 ฿27.0K

$763 ₽59.2K

5.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ฿17.4K

$513 ₽39.8K

0.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,926 ฿64.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿48.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$586 ฿19.8K

$635 ₽49.3K

-7.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.33

-67.38%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 20, 2026

Last update for Zlatoust: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $425 in Chiang Mai versus $453 in Zlatoust. 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 8% higher in Zlatoust, 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 Zlatoust. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Chiang Mai vs $192 in Zlatoust – so Zlatoust 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 Zlatoust: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zlatoust costs about 10% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,271 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,401 in Zlatoust. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, 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 Zlatoust. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 26% cheaper in Zlatoust – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $847 in Chiang Mai and $934 in Zlatoust, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $847 versus $934 in Zlatoust. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zlatoust makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.