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: $838 in Chiang Rai versus $1,185 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,297 in Chiang Rai versus $1,834 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,757 in Chiang Rai versus $2,483 in Tbilisi.

Living in Chiang Rai costs roughly 29% less than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Rai 37% lower, Tbilisi 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.05 ฿66.5

$11.15 ₾30.00

-81.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.62 ฿508

$43.13 ₾116

-63.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 ฿201

$8.22 ₾22.11

-24.82%

Cappuccino

$1.48 ฿47.95

$3.13 ₾8.42

-52.72%

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

$0.57 ฿18.62

$0.74 ₾2.00

-22.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ฿8.98

$0.45 ₾1.22

-37.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 ฿59.1

$2.13 ₾5.74

-14.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 ฿122

$2.99 ₾8.06

25.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 ฿55.4

$1.89 ₾5.09

-10.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿52.9

$0.73 ₾1.97

123.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.37

$1.85 ₾4.98

-36.22%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿64.6

$2.45 ₾6.58

-18.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 ฿509

$7.85 ₾21.12

99.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ฿102

$6.25 ₾16.82

-49.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿361

$9.77 ₾26.28

13.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿83.5

$1.21 ₾3.26

112.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.44

$1.59 ₾4.28

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.4

$1.79 ₾4.81

-5.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 ฿30.94

$2.32 ₾6.25

-59.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.02

$0.71 ₾1.91

94.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.13

$0.67 ₾1.81

70.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.83

$1.18 ₾3.16

-43.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.16

$0.71 ₾1.92

-21.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ฿123

$2.92 ₾7.85

29.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.62 ฿605

$7.25 ₾19.50

156.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿57.5

$1.55 ₾4.17

14.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 ฿106

$2.31 ₾6.21

41.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 ฿25.90

$0.38 ₾1.03

110.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.39 ฿760

$14.81 ₾39.83

57.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ฿44.66

$1.48 ₾3.98

-7.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿43.83

$0.69 ₾1.86

95.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 ฿258

$7.45 ₾20.05

6.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.89

$1.15 ₾3.10

6.96%

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

$20.5K ฿666.0K

$18.0K ₾48.4K

13.78%

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

$21.8K ฿709.9K

$19.8K ₾53.4K

10.10%

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

$50.2 ฿1,631

$73.4 ₾198

-31.70%

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

$13.96 ฿454

$11.64 ₾31.32

19.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.67 ฿510

$17.77 ₾47.79

-11.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 ฿1,618

$60.6 ₾163

-17.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.18 ฿396

$16.44 ₾44.21

-25.91%

Cinema Ticket

$3.75 ฿122

$6.51 ₾17.52

-42.40%

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

$305 ฿9,913

$263 ₾707

16.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,647 ฿248.6K

$5,136 ₾13.8K

48.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,812

$77.7 ₾209

-28.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.93 ฿876

$44.39 ₾119

-39.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 ฿2,379

$118 ₾317

-37.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,294

$114 ₾307

-38.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 ฿8,524

$693 ₾1,865

-62.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ฿8,358

$462 ₾1,244

-44.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 ฿24.9K

$1,337 ₾3,597

-42.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$493 ฿16.0K

$779 ₾2,096

-36.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,991 ฿64.7K

$2,530 ₾6,805

-21.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 ฿32.2K

$1,430 ₾3,847

-30.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$607 ฿19.7K

$633 ₾1,702

-4.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

-57.95%

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

Last update for Chiang Rai: April 26, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $262 in Chiang Rai and $693 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 4% 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: $16.00 in Chiang Rai vs $43.00 in Tbilisi. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $206, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

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 41% in total monthly costs ($838 vs $1,185 including rent). Chiang Rai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Tbilisi earns 4% less. 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: $262 in Chiang Rai versus $693 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Chiang Rai versus $263 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tbilisi pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $838 in Chiang Rai versus $1,185 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 41% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.