Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gilgit and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Gilgit: $439 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Gilgit
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Gilgit Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Gilgit

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$439

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gilgit 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 Gilgit and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $439 per month in Gilgit vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gilgit $439
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $656 per month in Gilgit vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gilgit $656
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $872 per month in Gilgit vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gilgit $872
Chiang Mai $1,903

Gilgit is about 53% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Gilgit and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Gilgit 68% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.48 PKR 411

$2.29 ฿76.5

-35.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.94 PKR 3,029

$19.64 ฿656

-44.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.30 PKR 1,467

$5.61 ฿188

-5.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 PKR 719

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 PKR 1,464

Cappuccino

$1.64 PKR 454

$1.66 ฿55.6

-1.20%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.9

$0.70 ฿23.40

-54.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.3

$0.31 ฿10.24

-32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 PKR 220

$1.95 ฿65.3

-59.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 PKR 176

$1.41 ฿47.03

-54.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 PKR 315

$1.31 ฿43.62

-12.98%

Eggs

$1.14 PKR 316

$2.18 ฿72.9

-47.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.62 PKR 1,556

$16.65 ฿556

-66.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.46 PKR 682

$2.76 ฿92.2

-10.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.86 PKR 1,344

$9.11 ฿304

-46.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 PKR 325

$2.39 ฿80.0

-51.05%

Banana (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$1.03 ฿34.26

-46.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.79 PKR 219

$1.63 ฿54.4

-51.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$1.50 ฿50.0

-62.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 83.8

$1.29 ฿43.13

-76.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 107

$1.11 ฿37.03

-64.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PKR 124

$0.72 ฿24.08

-37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 PKR 103

$0.53 ฿17.59

-30.19%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.80 PKR 499

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 PKR 307

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 PKR 649

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 PKR 539

$4.31 ฿144

-54.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 48.31

$0.86 ฿28.86

-80.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.11 PKR 2,797

$53.3 ฿1,780

-81.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 PKR 292

$1.21 ฿40.29

-12.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$0.57 ฿18.99

24.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 PKR 444

$2.35 ฿78.6

-31.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 PKR 326

$1.44 ฿47.96

-18.06%

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

$21.3K PKR 5.9M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

2.94%

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

$24.4K PKR 6.7M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-9.04%

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

$100 PKR 27.7K

$62.3 ฿2,083

60.73%

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

$5.54 PKR 1,535

$12.11 ฿405

-54.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.42 PKR 3,991

$19.94 ฿666

-27.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.11 PKR 4,182

$37.07 ฿1,239

-59.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.27 PKR 2,289

$3.78 ฿126

118.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.35 PKR 1,204

$6.50 ฿217

-33.08%

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

$43.23 PKR 12.0K

$793 ฿26.5K

-94.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,055 PKR 292.1K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-92.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.11 PKR 4,735

$53.7 ฿1,796

-68.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.40 PKR 6,476

$24.62 ฿823

-4.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 PKR 18.4K

$90.9 ฿3,036

-26.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.21 PKR 9,191

$71.1 ฿2,378

-53.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$126 PKR 34.8K

$455 ฿15.2K

-72.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.8 PKR 21.3K

$298 ฿9,954

-74.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 PKR 71.0K

$908 ฿30.4K

-71.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 PKR 41.6K

$554 ฿18.5K

-72.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$926 PKR 256.4K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-52.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$474 PKR 131.2K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-67.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

133.39%

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

Last update for Gilgit: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gilgit

$120 27.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 21.4% $26

Groceries & Markets

Gilgit

$90 20.6%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 161% $145

Accommodation & Living

Gilgit

$77 17.5%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 288% $221

Clothing & Footwear

Gilgit

$63 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 71.3% $45

Eating Out

Gilgit

$50 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 58.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Gilgit

$24 5.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 110% $26

Getting Around

Gilgit

$15 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 294% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $126 in Gilgit versus $455 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 $11.00 in Gilgit versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $90.0 vs $235 – making Gilgit the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Gilgit

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:56 6:56 PM

20:56 8:56 PM

2 h ahead of Gilgit

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

216,760

127,240

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Gilgit Chiang Mai 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Gilgit
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 111% more than Gilgit, 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 $659 per month in Gilgit and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gilgit, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $43.23 per month in Gilgit and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 161% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Gilgit, where all-in costs run around $439, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Gilgit 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. Gilgit costs $439 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 Gilgit. 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.