Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyiv and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $906 a month against $1,005 in Kyiv, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Kyiv
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Kyiv Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Kyiv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$1,005

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,005 per month in Kyiv vs $906 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kyiv $1,005
Chiang Mai $906

A couple spends around $1,556 per month in Kyiv vs $1,385 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kyiv $1,556
Chiang Mai $1,385

A family of three spends $2,107 per month in Kyiv vs $1,864 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kyiv $2,107
Chiang Mai $1,864

Kyiv costs about 11% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kyiv and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Kyiv 25% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.04 ₴495

$2.13 ฿71.7

418.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.92 ₴1,522

$19.40 ฿652

74.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 ₴340

$5.47 ฿184

38.76%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ₴77.2

$1.68 ฿56.7

2.38%

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

$0.84 ₴37.58

$0.66 ฿22.19

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₴26.73

$0.34 ฿11.56

76.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.32 ₴59.0

$2.42 ฿81.3

-45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₴88.4

$3.73 ฿126

-47.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 ₴60.9

$2.06 ฿69.2

-33.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₴40.34

$1.46 ฿48.98

-38.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 ₴65.4

$1.35 ฿45.27

8.15%

Eggs

$1.97 ₴88.2

$2.27 ฿76.3

-13.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 ₴466

$16.31 ฿548

-36.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 ₴243

$2.70 ฿90.7

100.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.90 ₴399

$9.20 ฿309

-3.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ₴53.3

$2.39 ฿80.5

-50.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₴69.4

$1.04 ฿34.80

49.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 ₴83.6

$1.60 ฿53.9

16.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 ₴123

$1.44 ฿48.57

90.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 ₴27.07

$1.30 ฿43.77

-53.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ₴22.07

$1.11 ฿37.45

-55.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ₴62.1

$0.70 ฿23.65

97.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₴27.05

$0.51 ฿17.06

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 ₴153

$4.13 ฿139

-17.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.51 ₴247

$17.78 ฿598

-69.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₴42.62

$1.63 ฿54.9

-41.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₴61.1

$2.87 ฿96.4

-52.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ₴25.50

$0.86 ฿28.88

-33.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.05 ₴496

$53.2 ฿1,787

-79.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 ₴101

$1.22 ฿40.99

84.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ₴19.26

$0.56 ฿18.89

-23.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 ₴196

$2.31 ฿77.8

89.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 ₴77.3

$1.50 ฿50.4

14.67%

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

$28.8K ₴1.3M

$20.9K ฿701.2K

38.24%

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

$25.8K ₴1.2M

$26.7K ฿898.8K

-3.46%

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

$99.5 ₴4,464

$61.3 ฿2,059

62.42%

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

$7.19 ₴323

$12.50 ฿420

-42.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.47 ₴290

$20.36 ฿685

-68.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.23 ₴1,625

$37.94 ฿1,275

-4.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.79 ₴843

$3.77 ฿127

398.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₴253

$6.60 ฿222

-14.39%

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

$411 ₴18.4K

$774 ฿26.0K

-46.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ₴667.4K

$14.4K ฿485.3K

3.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.0 ₴3,321

$54.8 ฿1,842

35.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.09 ₴1,754

$25.26 ฿849

54.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 ₴4,354

$90.6 ฿3,045

7.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₴5,369

$73.3 ฿2,463

63.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₴28.1K

$459 ฿15.4K

36.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 ₴15.4K

$294 ฿9,877

16.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 ₴56.2K

$919 ฿30.9K

36.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 ₴27.6K

$552 ฿18.6K

11.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 ₴118.3K

$1,917 ฿64.5K

37.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,132 ₴50.8K

$1,445 ฿48.6K

-21.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$831 ₴37.3K

$592 ฿19.9K

40.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.88

5.57

221.01%

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

Last update for Kyiv: October 5, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kyiv

$342 33.9%

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8% 14.2% $48

Groceries & Markets

Kyiv

$192 19%

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6% 23.1% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Kyiv

$148 14.7%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9% 26.1% $39

Eating Out

Kyiv

$148 14.7%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4% 47.8% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kyiv

$113 11.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 16.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Kyiv

$48 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 7.6% $3.6

Getting Around

Kyiv

$18 1.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 242% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Kyiv versus $459 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 40% higher in Kyiv, 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 $34.00 in Kyiv versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Kyiv vs $236 in Chiang Mai – so Kyiv wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇦 Kyiv

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:44 10:44 AM

14:44 2:44 PM

4 h ahead of Kyiv

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,908,249 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 UAH = 2.23 USD

100 UAH = 1.99 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to UAH – Ukrainian Hryvnia Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇦 Ukrainian Hryvnia (₴)

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 44.86 UAH (100 UAH = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 50.32 UAH (100 UAH = 1.99 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.71 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to UAH in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kyiv Chiang Mai 6,890 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Kyiv
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

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

Kyiv costs about 11% 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 $1,508 per month in Kyiv and $1,359 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.

Kindergarten costs $411 per month in Kyiv and $774 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 23% cheaper in Kyiv – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Kyiv at $1,005. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kyiv it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $906 versus $1,005 in Kyiv. 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, Kyiv makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.