Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kish and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Kish: $556 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Kish
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Kish Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Kish

🇮🇷 Iran

$556

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $556 per month in Kish vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kish $556
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $874 per month in Kish vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kish $874
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,193 per month in Kish vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kish $1,193
Chiang Mai $1,979

Kish is about 41% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kish and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Kish 59% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.57 $5.57

$2.24 ฿75.6

148.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.80 $15.80

$19.00 ฿641

-16.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.61 $4.61

$5.55 ฿187

-16.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 $0.69

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

Cappuccino

$1.03 $1.03

$1.67 ฿56.5

-38.32%

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

$0.50 $0.50

$0.64 ฿21.55

-21.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.31 ฿10.31

216.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.95 ฿65.8

-67.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 $0.47

$1.44 ฿48.48

-67.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.33 ฿45.04

57.14%

Eggs

$1.22 $1.22

$2.28 ฿77.1

-46.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$16.45 ฿555

-74.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.78 ฿93.9

22.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.56 $11.56

$9.31 ฿314

24.17%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.35 ฿79.4

-60.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.97 ฿32.80

53.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.60 ฿53.9

-53.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.50 ฿50.6

-57.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 $0.59

$1.28 ฿43.12

-53.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.10 ฿37.19

-55.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 $0.59

$0.71 ฿23.82

-16.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.49 ฿16.37

-57.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.72 $0.72

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 $2.68

$4.14 ฿140

-35.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 $0.16

$0.87 ฿29.31

-81.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.47 $9.47

$54.1 ฿1,826

-82.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 $0.40

$1.16 ฿39.06

-65.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 $0.32

$0.53 ฿17.80

-39.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.42 ฿81.8

10.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$1.45 ฿48.90

-93.79%

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

$51.9K $51.9K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

146.45%

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

$39.6K $39.6K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

47.11%

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

$11.21 $11.21

$62.2 ฿2,098

-81.97%

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

$1.79 $1.79

$12.17 ฿411

-85.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.63 $3.63

$20.12 ฿679

-81.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.75 $19.75

$37.31 ฿1,259

-47.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.18 $13.18

$3.77 ฿127

249.60%

Cinema Ticket

$2.01 $2.01

$6.49 ฿219

-69.03%

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

$121 $121

$736 ฿24.8K

-83.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,576 $2,576

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-82.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.56 $22.56

$53.4 ฿1,801

-57.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.77 $28.77

$24.64 ฿831

16.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 $92.4

$91.5 ฿3,087

1.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 $74.9

$71.9 ฿2,428

4.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 $289

$482 ฿16.3K

-40.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 $212

$309 ฿10.4K

-31.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 $808

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-19.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 $349

$633 ฿21.4K

-44.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,302 $1,302

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-44.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$548 $548

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-65.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$411 $411

$590 ฿19.9K

-30.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

5.57

336.27%

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

Last update for Kish: 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

Kish

$212 38.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 45.7% $97

Groceries & Markets

Kish

$116 20.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 102% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Kish

$98 17.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 10.4% $10

Eating Out

Kish

$77 13.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 1.3% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Kish

$24 4.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 112% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kish

$17 3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 468% $78

Getting Around

Kish

$12 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 406% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $289 in Kish 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 run about 43% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Kish versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $116 vs $234 – making Kish the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Kish

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:38 11:38 AM

15:08 3:08 PM

3 h 30 min ahead of Kish

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,819

127,240

💱 Currency

USD USD

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kish Chiang Mai 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kish
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 68% more than Kish, 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 $833 per month in Kish and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kish, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $289 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $121 per month in Kish and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 102% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $556 in Kish and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kish – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Kish. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.