Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karaganda and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Karaganda and in Chiang Mai: $929 and $925 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Karaganda
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Karaganda Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Karaganda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$929

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $929 per month in Karaganda vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karaganda $929
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,498 per month in Karaganda vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karaganda $1,498
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,067 per month in Karaganda vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karaganda $2,067
Chiang Mai $1,903

Karaganda and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Karaganda and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Karaganda 31% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.92 ₸4,483

$2.29 ฿76.5

333.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.77 ₸15.7K

$19.64 ฿656

77.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 ₸2,540

$5.61 ฿188

0.18%

Cappuccino

$1.90 ₸861

$1.66 ฿55.6

14.46%

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

$0.87 ₸392

$0.70 ฿23.40

24.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₸290

$0.31 ฿10.24

106.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₸618

$2.41 ฿80.4

-43.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₸1,271

$3.71 ฿124

-24.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 ₸602

$1.95 ฿65.3

-31.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 ₸219

$1.41 ฿47.03

-65.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ₸605

$1.31 ฿43.62

2.29%

Eggs

$1.87 ₸845

$2.18 ฿72.9

-14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.37 ₸6,043

$16.65 ฿556

-19.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 ₸2,510

$2.76 ฿92.2

101.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ₸5,043

$9.11 ฿304

22.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 ₸683

$2.39 ฿80.0

-36.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₸857

$1.03 ฿34.26

83.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 ₸1,255

$1.63 ฿54.4

70.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 ₸944

$1.50 ฿50.0

39.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ₸284

$1.29 ฿43.13

-51.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ₸245

$1.11 ฿37.03

-51.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₸469

$0.72 ฿24.08

44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₸315

$0.53 ฿17.59

32.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 ₸985

$4.31 ฿144

-49.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 ₸3,798

$17.95 ฿600

-53.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸616

$1.58 ฿52.9

-13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₸955

$2.84 ฿95.0

-25.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₸104

$0.86 ฿28.86

-73.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.45 ₸6,982

$53.3 ฿1,780

-71.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ₸558

$1.21 ฿40.29

1.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 ₸562

$0.57 ฿18.99

117.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 ₸1,457

$2.35 ฿78.6

37.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 ₸236

$1.44 ฿47.96

-63.89%

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

$21.6K ₸9.8M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

4.39%

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

$32.3K ₸14.6M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

20.39%

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

$72.6 ₸32.8K

$62.3 ฿2,083

16.43%

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

$9.86 ₸4,457

$12.11 ฿405

-18.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.82 ₸5,342

$19.94 ฿666

-40.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.55 ₸20.6K

$37.07 ฿1,239

22.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.09 ₸8,179

$3.78 ฿126

378.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 ₸2,390

$6.50 ฿217

-18.62%

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

$133 ₸59.9K

$793 ฿26.5K

-83.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 ₸27.4K

$53.7 ฿1,796

12.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 ₸26.0K

$24.62 ฿823

133.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 ₸35.7K

$90.9 ฿3,036

-13.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 ₸38.7K

$71.1 ฿2,378

20.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 ₸180.6K

$455 ฿15.2K

-12.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₸123.7K

$298 ฿9,954

-8.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ₸330.1K

$908 ฿30.4K

-19.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ₸245.7K

$554 ฿18.5K

-1.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,053 ₸475.8K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-45.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$695 ₸314.0K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-51.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$566 ₸256.1K

$591 ฿19.7K

-4.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.25

5.57

245.60%

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

Last update for Karaganda: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Karaganda

$274 29.5%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 8.8% $24

Groceries & Markets

Karaganda

$216 23.3%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 9% $19

Eating Out

Karaganda

$138 14.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 42.9% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Karaganda

$127 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 15% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karaganda

$94 10.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Karaganda

$56 6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 10.8% $6.1

Getting Around

Karaganda

$24 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 155% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $400 in Karaganda 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.

Salaries run about 4% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Karaganda versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $216 in Karaganda vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Karaganda wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Karaganda

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

17:51 5:51 PM

1 h ahead of Karaganda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,486

127,240

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 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 KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Karaganda Chiang Mai 4,150 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karaganda
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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,393 per month in Karaganda 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Karaganda and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 245% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Karaganda at $929. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Karaganda it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $929 in Karaganda. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Karaganda makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.