Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karabuk and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Karabuk: $656 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Karabuk, Turkey
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Karabuk
🇹🇷 Turkey
$656
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $656 per month in Karabuk vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Karabuk $656
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,031 per month in Karabuk vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Karabuk $1,031
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,405 per month in Karabuk vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Karabuk $1,405
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Karabuk is about 30% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karabuk and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Karabuk 52% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Karabuk
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.85 ₺391
$2.24 ฿75.7
250.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.97 ₺1,194
$19.00 ฿642
26.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.96 ₺397
$5.55 ฿188
43.42%
Cappuccino
$3.45 ₺172
$1.67 ฿56.6
106.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₺53.8
$0.64 ฿21.56
68.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₺15.47
$0.31 ฿10.32
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.59 ₺79.1
$2.36 ฿79.6
-32.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 ₺137
$3.66 ฿124
-24.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Karabuk
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 ₺42.23
$1.95 ฿65.8
-56.41%
White Bread (500g)
$0.31 ₺15.50
$1.44 ฿48.51
-78.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.59 ₺129
$1.33 ฿45.07
94.74%
Eggs
$2.60 ₺129
$2.28 ฿77.1
14.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.00 ₺299
$16.45 ฿556
-63.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.08 ₺203
$2.78 ฿94.0
46.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.97 ₺497
$9.31 ฿314
7.09%
Apples (1kg)
$1.44 ₺71.6
$2.35 ฿79.5
-38.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ₺84.3
$0.97 ฿32.82
74.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.76 ₺37.93
$1.60 ฿53.9
-52.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.78 ₺39.08
$1.50 ฿50.7
-48.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.50 ₺24.71
$1.28 ฿43.15
-60.94%
Onion (1kg)
$0.43 ₺21.25
$1.10 ฿37.22
-60.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.38 ₺19.13
$0.71 ฿23.84
-46.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₺15.57
$0.49 ฿16.38
-36.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.77 ₺88.2
$4.14 ฿140
-57.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.01 ₺249
$17.52 ฿592
-71.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 ₺78.1
$1.61 ฿54.5
-2.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 ₺103
$2.78 ฿94.0
-25.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Karabuk
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.62 ₺31.02
$0.87 ฿29.33
-28.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.1 ฿1,827
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.58 ₺28.81
$1.16 ฿39.08
-50.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.86 ₺42.83
$0.53 ฿17.82
62.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$2.42 ฿81.8
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₺65.5
$1.45 ฿48.93
-9.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.2K ₺2.1M
$21.1K ฿711.2K
95.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.4K ₺1.9M
$26.9K ฿909.8K
42.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karabuk
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.9 ₺3,832
$62.2 ฿2,100
23.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.14 ₺256
$12.17 ฿411
-57.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.19 ₺508
$20.12 ฿680
-49.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Karabuk
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$17.04 ₺849
$37.31 ฿1,260
-54.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.01 ₺300
$3.77 ฿127
59.42%
Cinema Ticket
$3.98 ₺198
$6.49 ฿219
-38.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Karabuk
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$450 ₺22.4K
$736 ฿24.9K
-38.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,045 ₺301.3K
$14.8K ฿498.6K
-59.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Karabuk
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$20.44 ₺1,019
$53.4 ฿1,802
-61.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.20 ₺1,405
$24.64 ฿832
14.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$40.49 ₺2,018
$91.5 ฿3,089
-55.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$40.76 ₺2,031
$71.9 ฿2,429
-43.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Karabuk
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$247 ₺12.3K
$482 ฿16.3K
-48.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$172 ₺8,557
$309 ฿10.4K
-44.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$450 ₺22.4K
$1,006 ฿34.0K
-55.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$331 ₺16.5K
$633 ฿21.4K
-47.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,632 ₺81.3K
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-30.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$592 ₺29.5K
$1,589 ฿53.7K
-62.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Karabuk
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,215 ₺60.6K
$590 ฿19.9K
106.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
41
5.57
636.09%

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

Last update for Karabuk: 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
Karabuk
$172
Chiang Mai
$309 79.9% $137
Groceries & Markets
Karabuk
$155
Chiang Mai
$234 51.7% $80
Eating Out
Karabuk
$147
Chiang Mai
$78 47.2% $69
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karabuk
$92
Chiang Mai
$94 2.4% $2.2
Clothing & Footwear
Karabuk
$58
Chiang Mai
$109 85.9% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Karabuk
$25
Chiang Mai
$50 101% $25
Getting Around
Karabuk
$7.4 *
Chiang Mai
$61 733% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $247 in Karabuk 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.

Salaries in Karabuk are about 2.1 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Karabuk versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $155 in Karabuk vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Karabuk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Karabuk
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
23:37 11:37 PM
03:37 3:37 AM
4 h ahead of Karabuk
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
123,309
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 49.83 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.48 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Karabuk Chiang Mai 6,690 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Karabuk
  • 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
Karabuk vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Karabuk or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 43% more than Karabuk, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Karabuk and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $984 per month in Karabuk and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Karabuk or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Karabuk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $247 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do dining costs compare in Karabuk and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Karabuk and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Karabuk or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 52% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Karabuk or in Chiang Mai?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Karabuk, where all-in costs run around $656, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Karabuk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Karabuk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Karabuk compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Karabuk vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?