Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Herat and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Herat: $399 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Herat

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$399

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $399 per month in Herat vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Herat $399
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $478 per month in Herat vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Herat $478
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $558 per month in Herat vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Herat $558
Chiang Mai $1,979

Herat is about 57% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Herat and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Herat 71% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.41 ؋611

$19.00 ฿640

-50.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.75 ؋243

$5.55 ฿187

-32.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 ؋98.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 ؋511

Cappuccino

$0.79 ؋51.5

$1.67 ฿56.4

-52.69%

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

$0.44 ؋28.56

$0.64 ฿21.51

-31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 ؋39.47

$1.95 ฿65.7

-68.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

Eggs

$1.89 ؋123

$2.28 ฿77.0

-17.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 ؋408

$9.31 ฿314

-32.55%

Apples (1kg)

$0.63 ؋41.15

$2.35 ฿79.3

-73.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 ؋48.82

$0.97 ฿32.75

-22.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 ؋41.71

$1.50 ฿50.6

-57.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ؋19.37

$1.28 ฿43.06

-76.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.32 ؋20.80

$1.10 ฿37.14

-70.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ؋19.18

$0.49 ฿16.34

-38.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ؋30.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 ؋206

$4.14 ฿140

-23.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

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

$312 ؋20.3K

$62.2 ฿2,095

402.61%

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

$12.17 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.41 ؋1,001

$37.31 ฿1,257

-58.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

259.07%

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

Last update for Herat: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Herat

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Herat

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Herat

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Herat

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Herat

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Herat

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Herat

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Herat versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $48 vs $234 – making Herat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Herat

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:49 12:49 PM

15:19 3:19 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Herat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇫 Afghanistan Afghani (؋)

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 64.93 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.46 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AFN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Herat Chiang Mai 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Herat
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 135% more than Herat, 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 $598 per month in Herat and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $399 in Herat and $936 in Chiang Mai. That makes Herat about 57% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 384% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $399 in Herat to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.