Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zugdidi

For one person, living is cheaper in Zugdidi: $703 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Zugdidi
Learn more

Zugdidi Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Zugdidi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$703

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $703 in Zugdidi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Zugdidi $703

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,137 in Zugdidi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Zugdidi $1,137

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,572 in Zugdidi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Zugdidi $1,572

Chiang Mai costs about 33% more than Zugdidi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Zugdidi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Zugdidi 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$11.45 ₾29.62

-81.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$31.20 ₾80.7

-40.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$5.82 ₾15.06

-3.78%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$3.42 ₾8.85

-51.46%

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

$0.65 ฿21.83

$0.58 ₾1.50

12.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.28 ₾0.73

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.4

$2.65 ₾6.86

-12.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$3.07 ₾7.95

19.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$2.16 ₾5.59

-6.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.51

$0.80 ₾2.07

76.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.96

$1.75 ₾4.54

-20.57%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$2.80 ₾7.23

-15.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$9.42 ₾24.39

75.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$6.75 ₾17.47

-60.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$13.03 ₾33.71

-30.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$1.69 ₾4.37

42.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$1.82 ₾4.72

-42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.97 ₾5.10

-15.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$2.40 ₾6.20

-35.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.76

$0.82 ₾2.12

51.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.66

$0.74 ₾1.90

47.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$1.41 ₾3.66

-46.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.35

$0.44 ₾1.14

15.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$3.52 ₾9.11

17.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$7.65 ₾19.78

134.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.64 ₾4.25

-1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$2.38 ₾6.15

18.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.53

$0.16 ₾0.42

481.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.70

$1.14 ₾2.95

3.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.79

$0.79 ₾2.05

-78.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$11.67 ₾30.20

-84.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$0.86 ₾2.24

70.93%

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

$21.0K ฿708.9K

$18.4K ₾47.7K

13.96%

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

$26.5K ฿894.6K

$22.7K ₾58.7K

16.93%

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

$62.6 ฿2,111

$89.3 ₾231

-29.94%

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

$11.60 ฿392

$13.25 ₾34.28

-12.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$19.80 ₾51.2

2.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$24.78 ₾64.1

52.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$4.68 ₾12.10

39.10%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$366 ₾947

98.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.2K

$10.7K ₾27.7K

54.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,807

$23.51 ₾60.8

127.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿837

$40.61 ₾105

-38.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,050

$115 ₾297

-21.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$124 ₾322

-42.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$266 ₾689

123.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.62

-55.86%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Zugdidi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Zugdidi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Zugdidi

$231 32.9% 2.3% $5.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Zugdidi

$136 19.4% 25.9% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Zugdidi

$122 17.4% 29.5% $28

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Zugdidi

$173 24.6% 126% $96

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Zugdidi

$5.8 * 0.8% 90.2% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Zugdidi

$34 4.9% 32.9% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $31 in Zugdidi. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $231 in Zugdidi – so Zugdidi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇬🇪 Zugdidi

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

09:10 9:10 AM

3 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

41,332

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Zugdidi 5,940 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Zugdidi

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 Zugdidi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 33% more than Zugdidi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,054 in Zugdidi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $703 in Zugdidi. That makes Zugdidi about 25% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $31 in Zugdidi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Zugdidi, where all-in costs run around $703, than in Chiang Mai at $935. In Zugdidi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $703 in Zugdidi to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

If budget matters most, go with Zugdidi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.