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 $539 per month in Eldoret vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $940 per month in Eldoret vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,340 per month in Eldoret vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Eldoret is about 37% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Eldoret and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Eldoret 60% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 KES 716

$1.96 ฿63.6

182.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.10 KES 4,924

$18.81 ฿611

102.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 KES 899

$7.92 ฿258

-12.25%

Cappuccino

$2.44 KES 315

$1.91 ฿62.2

27.75%

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

$0.74 KES 95.8

$0.84 ฿27.25

-11.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 KES 69.6

$0.35 ฿11.44

54.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 KES 294

$2.21 ฿71.7

2.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 KES 368

$3.80 ฿124

-25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 KES 90.5

$1.64 ฿53.2

-57.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 KES 61.9

$1.62 ฿52.8

-70.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 KES 160

$1.18 ฿38.40

5.08%

Eggs

$1.64 KES 212

$2.01 ฿65.4

-18.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.97 KES 513

$15.89 ฿517

-75.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 KES 470

$3.01 ฿98.0

20.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.17 KES 539

$10.77 ฿350

-61.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 KES 407

$2.61 ฿85.0

20.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 KES 115

$1.22 ฿39.65

-27.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 KES 211

$1.70 ฿55.4

-3.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$1.58 ฿51.2

-34.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 KES 72.5

$1.32 ฿42.89

-57.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 KES 115

$1.17 ฿38.01

-23.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 KES 84.3

$0.67 ฿21.85

-2.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 KES 82.4

$0.56 ฿18.21

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 KES 410

$4.53 ฿147

-30.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.94 KES 767

$18.20 ฿592

-67.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 KES 218

$1.83 ฿59.6

-7.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 KES 203

$3.23 ฿105

-51.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 KES 177

$0.89 ฿28.83

53.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿630

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 KES 204

$1.35 ฿43.95

17.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 196

$1.35 ฿43.79

12.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 KES 382

$8.25 ฿268

-64.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 198

$1.27 ฿41.40

20.47%

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

$21.6K KES 2.8M

$21.2K ฿687.8K

2.17%

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

$19.9K KES 2.6M

$22.5K ฿731.0K

-11.37%

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

$33.93 KES 4,385

$70.2 ฿2,281

-51.63%

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

$16.66 KES 2,153

$13.77 ฿448

20.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.81 KES 5,016

$17.60 ฿572

120.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.19 KES 4,935

$41.57 ฿1,352

-8.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿215

Cinema Ticket

$5.15 KES 665

$5.78 ฿188

-10.90%

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

$65.5 KES 8,460

$306 ฿9,953

-78.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,025 KES 1.0M

$14.8K ฿482.0K

-45.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.66 KES 1,506

$54.4 ฿1,768

-78.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.97 KES 3,098

$26.14 ฿850

-8.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.57 KES 2,529

$84.5 ฿2,748

-76.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.63 KES 4,475

$69.4 ฿2,257

-50.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$91.6 KES 11.8K

$424 ฿13.8K

-78.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.6 KES 11.7K

$238 ฿7,743

-61.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿26.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 KES 34.7K

$515 ฿16.7K

-47.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$627 KES 81.0K

$2,049 ฿66.6K

-69.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.6K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $91.6 in Eldoret versus $424 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 – $136 in Eldoret vs $243 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 58% 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 $809 per month in Eldoret and $1,278 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 $539 in Eldoret and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Eldoret costs $539 versus $852 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.