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

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $529 per month in Eldoret vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $935 per month in Eldoret vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,341 per month in Eldoret vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Eldoret is about 39% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Eldoret and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Eldoret 61% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.39 KES 699

$1.98 ฿64.3

172.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 KES 4,985

$18.80 ฿612

104.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 KES 909

$7.75 ฿252

-9.55%

Cappuccino

$2.49 KES 323

$1.92 ฿62.5

29.69%

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

$0.75 KES 96.7

$0.79 ฿25.79

-5.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 KES 65.5

$0.36 ฿11.62

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 KES 294

$2.21 ฿72.1

2.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 KES 370

$3.66 ฿119

-22.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 KES 91.2

$1.65 ฿53.8

-57.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 KES 61.2

$1.63 ฿53.2

-71.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 KES 154

$1.19 ฿38.86

-0.84%

Eggs

$1.58 KES 204

$2.00 ฿65.1

-21.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.84 KES 498

$15.98 ฿520

-75.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 KES 473

$3.03 ฿98.5

20.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.14 KES 537

$10.86 ฿354

-61.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 KES 410

$2.76 ฿90.0

14.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 KES 114

$1.18 ฿38.42

-25.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 KES 214

$1.64 ฿53.5

0.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$1.52 ฿49.51

-31.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 KES 66.9

$1.38 ฿45.10

-62.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 KES 109

$1.19 ฿38.84

-29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 KES 84.2

$0.70 ฿22.86

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 KES 87.8

$0.56 ฿18.13

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 KES 413

$4.58 ฿149

-30.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 KES 733

$16.56 ฿539

-65.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 KES 224

$1.83 ฿59.5

-6.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 KES 199

$3.20 ฿104

-52.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 KES 175

$0.88 ฿28.56

53.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.36 ฿44.16

15.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.34 ฿43.65

16.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 KES 380

$7.84 ฿256

-62.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 KES 191

$1.23 ฿39.92

20.33%

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

$21.7K KES 2.8M

$21.6K ฿704.3K

0.53%

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

$19.8K KES 2.6M

$22.5K ฿734.3K

-12.05%

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

$34.23 KES 4,438

$70.5 ฿2,298

-51.47%

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

$16.98 KES 2,202

$13.68 ฿445

24.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.36 KES 5,103

$17.45 ฿568

125.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.19 KES 4,952

$41.33 ฿1,346

-7.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 KES 655

$5.77 ฿188

-12.48%

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

$63.2 KES 8,196

$307 ฿10.0K

-79.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,903 KES 1.0M

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-45.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.69 KES 1,516

$55.8 ฿1,817

-79.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.05 KES 3,119

$26.21 ฿854

-8.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.24 KES 2,495

$85.8 ฿2,793

-77.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.23 KES 4,568

$72.2 ฿2,353

-51.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$91.4 KES 11.9K

$430 ฿14.0K

-78.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$88.2 KES 11.4K

$239 ฿7,774

-63.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 KES 34.8K

$511 ฿16.6K

-47.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$624 KES 81.0K

$1,983 ฿64.6K

-68.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

140.00%

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

Last update for Eldoret: June 8, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $91.4 in Eldoret versus $430 in Chiang Mai. 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 $38.00 in Eldoret versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $135 in Eldoret vs $241 in Chiang Mai – so Eldoret 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

Eldoret vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 64% more than Eldoret, 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 $793 per month in Eldoret and $1,303 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Eldoret, 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 $38.00 in Eldoret and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 79% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $529 in Eldoret and $869 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Eldoret costs $529 versus $869 in Chiang Mai. 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 Eldoret. 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.