Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaighat and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Gaighat: $302 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

15

Cost of Living Index in Gaighat
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Gaighat Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Gaighat

🇳🇵 Nepal

$302

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Gaighat and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $302 per month in Gaighat vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gaighat $302
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $497 per month in Gaighat vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gaighat $497
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $691 per month in Gaighat vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gaighat $691
Chiang Mai $1,903

Gaighat is about 67% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Gaighat and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Gaighat 78% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 NPR 301

$2.29 ฿76.5

-13.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 NPR 3,024

$19.64 ฿656

1.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 NPR 1,172

$5.61 ฿188

37.43%

Cappuccino

$1.56 NPR 237

$1.66 ฿55.6

-6.02%

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

$0.50 NPR 76.4

$0.70 ฿23.40

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 NPR 26.15

$0.31 ฿10.24

-45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 NPR 461

$2.41 ฿80.4

25.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NPR 508

$3.71 ฿124

-9.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 NPR 77.4

$1.95 ฿65.3

-73.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.23 NPR 34.69

$1.41 ฿47.03

-83.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.35 NPR 52.5

$1.31 ฿43.62

-73.28%

Eggs

$1.04 NPR 158

$2.18 ฿72.9

-52.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.14 NPR 1,085

$16.65 ฿556

-57.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.91 NPR 291

$2.76 ฿92.2

-30.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.56 NPR 389

$9.11 ฿304

-71.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 NPR 250

$2.39 ฿80.0

-30.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 NPR 174

$1.03 ฿34.26

10.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 NPR 103

$1.63 ฿54.4

-58.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.34 NPR 51.7

$1.50 ฿50.0

-77.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 NPR 51.9

$1.29 ฿43.13

-73.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 NPR 47.73

$1.11 ฿37.03

-72.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 NPR 68.3

$0.72 ฿24.08

-37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.11 NPR 17.33

$0.53 ฿17.59

-79.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 NPR 305

$4.31 ฿144

-53.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.02 NPR 612

$17.95 ฿600

-77.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NPR 202

$1.58 ฿52.9

-15.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 NPR 458

$2.84 ฿95.0

6.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 NPR 267

$1.21 ฿40.29

44.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 NPR 180

$0.57 ฿18.99

107.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 NPR 487

$2.35 ฿78.6

36.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 NPR 203

$1.44 ฿47.96

-7.64%

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

$29.2K NPR 4.4M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

41.01%

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

$36.0K NPR 5.5M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

34.46%

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

$31.78 NPR 4,829

$62.3 ฿2,083

-49.01%

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

$3.44 NPR 523

$12.11 ฿405

-71.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.24 NPR 1,405

$19.94 ฿666

-53.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$3.00 NPR 456

$6.50 ฿217

-53.85%

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

$67.1 NPR 10.2K

$793 ฿26.5K

-91.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,408 NPR 821.7K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-63.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.30 NPR 3,844

$53.7 ฿1,796

-52.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.72 NPR 4,059

$24.62 ฿823

8.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.4 NPR 9,638

$90.9 ฿3,036

-30.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.92 NPR 4,394

$71.1 ฿2,378

-59.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.72

5.57

74.51%

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

Last update for Gaighat: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gaighat

$97 32%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 144% $139

Eating Out

Gaighat

$82 27.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 4.4% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Gaighat

$65 21.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 66.5% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gaighat

$44 14.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 112% $50

Getting Around

Gaighat

$7.7 * 2.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 694% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Gaighat

$6 * 2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 734% $44

Accommodation & Living

Gaighat

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Gaighat versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $97.0 vs $235 – making Gaighat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Gaighat

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

17:52 5:52 PM

1 h 15 min ahead of Gaighat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NPR – Nepalese Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇵 Nepalese Rupee (रु)

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NPR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gaighat Chiang Mai 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Gaighat
Chiang Mai

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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 206% more than Gaighat, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $453 per month in Gaighat and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Gaighat and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 144% 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Gaighat, where all-in costs run around $302, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Gaighat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Gaighat costs $302 versus $925 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 Gaighat. 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.