Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ishim and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,031 in Ishim, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Ishim
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Ishim Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ishim

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,031

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Ishim vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ishim $1,031
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,593 per month in Ishim vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ishim $1,593
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,156 per month in Ishim vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ishim $2,156
Chiang Mai $1,979

Ishim costs about 10% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ishim and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ishim 24% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 ₽592

$2.24 ฿75.5

226.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.06 ₽2,917

$19.00 ฿640

89.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 ₽389

$5.55 ฿187

-13.51%

Cappuccino

$2.82 ₽228

$1.67 ฿56.4

68.86%

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

$1.55 ₽125

$0.64 ฿21.51

142.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₽61.0

$0.31 ฿10.29

141.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ₽174

$2.36 ฿79.5

-8.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₽247

$3.66 ฿123

-16.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 ₽89.9

$1.95 ฿65.7

-43.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₽71.2

$1.44 ฿48.41

-38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ₽95.6

$1.33 ฿44.97

-11.28%

Eggs

$1.35 ₽109

$2.28 ฿77.0

-40.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 ₽730

$16.45 ฿554

-45.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.23 ₽423

$2.78 ฿93.8

88.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.60 ₽857

$9.31 ฿314

13.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₽150

$2.35 ฿79.3

-20.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ₽145

$0.97 ฿32.75

84.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ₽144

$1.60 ฿53.8

11.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₽149

$1.50 ฿50.6

22.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 ₽35.34

$1.28 ฿43.06

-65.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.28 ₽22.59

$1.10 ฿37.14

-74.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ₽110

$0.71 ฿23.79

91.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₽67.9

$0.49 ฿16.34

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ₽246

$4.14 ฿140

-26.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 ₽960

$17.52 ฿590

-32.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₽86.3

$1.61 ฿54.4

-33.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₽159

$2.78 ฿93.8

-29.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 ₽42.03

$0.87 ฿29.27

-40.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.14 ₽2,033

$54.1 ฿1,823

-53.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₽193

$1.16 ฿39.00

105.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ₽30.22

$0.53 ฿17.78

-30.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 ₽472

$2.42 ฿81.6

140.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 ₽69.5

$1.45 ฿48.82

-40.69%

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

$52.1K ₽4.2M

$21.1K ฿709.7K

147.25%

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

$40.4K ₽3.3M

$26.9K ฿907.9K

49.95%

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

$123 ₽9,926

$62.2 ฿2,095

97.36%

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

$6.18 ₽500

$12.17 ฿410

-49.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.67 ₽701

$20.12 ฿678

-56.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.75 ₽2,892

$37.31 ฿1,257

-4.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.20 ₽1,958

$3.77 ฿127

541.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 ₽581

$6.49 ฿219

10.63%

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

$346 ₽28.0K

$736 ฿24.8K

-53.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,297 ₽509.4K

$14.8K ฿497.6K

-57.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 ₽6,473

$53.4 ฿1,799

49.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 ₽4,263

$24.64 ฿830

113.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₽9,747

$91.5 ฿3,083

31.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₽8,320

$71.9 ฿2,424

42.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 ₽37.7K

$482 ฿16.3K

-3.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ₽25.6K

$309 ฿10.4K

2.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ₽73.6K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-9.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 ₽45.5K

$633 ฿21.3K

-11.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,288 ₽185.1K

$2,363 ฿79.6K

-3.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,510 ₽122.2K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-4.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.7

5.57

361.40%

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

Last update for Ishim: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ishim

$317 30.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 2.5% $7.8

Groceries & Markets

Ishim

$202 19.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 16.2% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Ishim

$160 15.5%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 32.2% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ishim

$138 13.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 31.3% $43

Eating Out

Ishim

$133 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 41.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Ishim

$50 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 0.4% $0.2

Getting Around

Ishim

$31 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 95% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $466 in Ishim versus $482 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 $36 in Ishim versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $202 in Ishim vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Ishim wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Ishim

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:22 8:22 AM

10:22 10:22 AM

2 h ahead of Ishim

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,010

127,240

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.1 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 80.89 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.67 RUB (100 RUB = 1.1 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ishim Chiang Mai 4,820 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ishim
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Ishim costs about 10% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,546 per month in Ishim and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $466 in Ishim and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $346 per month in Ishim and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Ishim – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,031 in Ishim and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,031 in Ishim. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.