Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Rai and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Rai and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $682 in Chiang Rai versus $1,279 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,034 in Chiang Rai versus $2,033 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,386 in Chiang Rai versus $2,787 in Tbilisi.

Living in Chiang Rai costs roughly 47% less than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Rai 50% lower, Tbilisi 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.18 ฿71.4

$11.68 ₾30.42

-81.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.24 ฿500

$37.79 ₾98.4

-59.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 ฿174

$9.34 ₾24.31

-43.36%

Cappuccino

$1.32 ฿43.32

$3.45 ₾9.00

-61.74%

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

$0.61 ฿20.05

$1.09 ₾2.84

-44.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ฿8.83

$0.59 ₾1.55

-54.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.82 ₾7.35

-41.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿120

$3.73 ₾9.71

-1.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ฿60.5

$2.19 ₾5.71

-15.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿51.6

$0.74 ₾1.93

112.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.92

$1.65 ₾4.29

-27.88%

Eggs

$1.92 ฿63.2

$2.76 ₾7.20

-30.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.86 ฿521

$9.64 ₾25.09

64.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.87 ฿94.1

$6.89 ₾17.94

-58.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 ฿354

$13.15 ₾34.23

-18.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ฿77.7

$1.71 ₾4.46

38.60%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 ฿26.33

$1.72 ₾4.49

-53.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ฿51.6

$1.87 ₾4.87

-16.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 ฿29.37

$2.49 ₾6.49

-63.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 ฿41.48

$0.81 ₾2.11

55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿35.99

$0.66 ₾1.72

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.47

$1.38 ₾3.60

-47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.25

$0.75 ₾1.94

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 ฿133

$3.36 ₾8.75

20.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.89 ฿554

$7.81 ₾20.34

116.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿55.8

$1.67 ₾4.34

1.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ฿89.3

$2.34 ₾6.10

16.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 ฿27.60

$0.37 ₾0.96

127.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.47 ฿737

$15.56 ₾40.52

44.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿38.73

$1.14 ₾2.97

3.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.13

$0.78 ₾2.03

-25.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ฿80.6

$11.51 ₾29.97

-78.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿42.87

$1.33 ₾3.47

-1.50%

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

$21.1K ฿693.6K

$24.8K ₾64.7K

-14.92%

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

$27.5K ฿902.9K

$22.2K ₾57.8K

23.97%

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

$63.4 ฿2,078

$90.3 ₾235

-29.86%

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

$13.54 ฿444

$13.19 ₾34.35

2.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.78 ฿452

$19.73 ₾51.4

-30.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 ₾173

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 ฿193

$19.64 ₾51.1

-69.96%

Cinema Ticket

$3.38 ฿111

$6.73 ₾17.53

-49.78%

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

$801 ฿26.3K

$356 ₾928

124.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿494.1K

$10.6K ₾27.6K

42.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ฿1,847

$101 ₾263

-44.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.61 ฿840

$39.62 ₾103

-35.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ฿2,526

$115 ₾299

-32.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ฿2,445

$120 ₾314

-38.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 ฿7,661

$703 ₾1,830

-66.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 ฿5,185

$451 ₾1,173

-64.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.1K

$1,276 ₾3,321

-59.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 ฿9,002

$891 ₾2,320

-69.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,973 ฿64.7K

$2,530 ₾6,587

-22.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$977 ฿32.0K

$1,466 ₾3,818

-33.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$599 ฿19.7K

$651 ₾1,696

-8.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.73

-56.25%

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

Last update for Chiang Rai: August 16, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $234 in Chiang Rai and $703 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $15.00 in Chiang Rai vs $38.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $235 per month, with Chiang Rai cheaper across the board.

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 Rai vs Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Rai and Tbilisi differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($682 vs $1,279 including rent). Chiang Rai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Tbilisi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $234 in Chiang Rai versus $703 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $801 in Chiang Rai versus $356 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Tbilisi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $682 in Chiang Rai versus $1,279 in Tbilisi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Rai but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Rai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chiang Rai and Tbilisi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Rai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.