Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lahore and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Lahore: $516 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Lahore
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Lahore Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Lahore

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$516

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $516 per month in Lahore vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lahore $516
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $785 per month in Lahore vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lahore $785
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,054 per month in Lahore vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lahore $1,054
Chiang Mai $1,914

Lahore is about 45% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lahore and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Lahore 62% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.55 PKR 705

$2.26 ฿75.4

12.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.61 PKR 4,043

$19.18 ฿641

-23.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 PKR 1,590

$5.59 ฿187

2.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 PKR 970

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 PKR 1,465

Cappuccino

$2.66 PKR 736

$1.72 ฿57.6

54.65%

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

$0.41 PKR 114

$0.64 ฿21.54

-35.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 PKR 69.4

$0.33 ฿11.18

-24.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 PKR 269

$2.05 ฿68.6

-52.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 PKR 202

$1.40 ฿46.70

-47.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 332

$1.28 ฿42.89

-6.25%

Eggs

$1.15 PKR 318

$2.25 ฿75.3

-48.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.16 PKR 1,705

$16.94 ฿566

-63.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.63 PKR 727

$2.74 ฿91.6

-4.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.98 PKR 1,378

$9.36 ฿313

-46.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 PKR 328

$2.40 ฿80.3

-50.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 PKR 177

$1.01 ฿33.92

-36.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 PKR 232

$1.61 ฿53.9

-47.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 PKR 177

$1.52 ฿50.7

-57.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 PKR 88.7

$1.28 ฿42.90

-75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 101

$1.11 ฿37.22

-67.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 PKR 132

$0.72 ฿24.09

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 96.6

$0.52 ฿17.54

-32.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.05 PKR 291

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 PKR 177

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 PKR 462

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 PKR 592

$4.33 ฿145

-50.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 48.50

$0.85 ฿28.31

-78.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.38 PKR 1,490

$53.9 ฿1,801

-90.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 PKR 257

$1.17 ฿39.18

-20.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.57 ฿19.00

22.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 PKR 510

$2.37 ฿79.2

-22.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PKR 374

$1.45 ฿48.32

-6.90%

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

$18.2K PKR 5.0M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-11.07%

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

$25.2K PKR 7.0M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-5.12%

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

$129 PKR 35.6K

$62.3 ฿2,083

106.51%

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

$5.47 PKR 1,514

$12.27 ฿410

-55.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.58 PKR 4,590

$19.97 ฿668

-16.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.55 PKR 6,240

$37.91 ฿1,267

-40.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 PKR 3,022

$3.76 ฿126

190.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 PKR 1,163

$6.71 ฿224

-37.41%

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

$48.64 PKR 13.5K

$797 ฿26.6K

-93.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,013 PKR 557.0K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-86.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.94 PKR 4,964

$53.3 ฿1,780

-66.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.60 PKR 7,638

$25.05 ฿837

10.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 PKR 20.6K

$91.6 ฿3,062

-18.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.12 PKR 9,167

$73.5 ฿2,455

-54.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 PKR 46.2K

$464 ฿15.5K

-64.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

$305 ฿10.2K

-71.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 PKR 98.0K

$915 ฿30.6K

-61.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 PKR 55.5K

$552 ฿18.5K

-63.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 PKR 221.3K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-58.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$606 PKR 167.6K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-57.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 PKR 55.6K

$595 ฿19.9K

-66.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.05

5.57

152.24%

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

Last update for Lahore: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lahore

$151 29.2%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 37.3% $56

Groceries & Markets

Lahore

$97 18.8%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 145% $141

Accommodation & Living

Lahore

$86 16.7%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 254% $219

Eating Out

Lahore

$72 14%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 9.5% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

Lahore

$69 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 59% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Lahore

$31 6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 65.9% $20

Getting Around

Lahore

$11 2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 484% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $167 in Lahore versus $464 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 196% 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 $15.00 in Lahore versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $97.0 vs $238 – making Lahore the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Lahore

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

15:27 3:27 PM

2 h ahead of Lahore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,126,285

127,240

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lahore Chiang Mai 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lahore
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 82% more than Lahore, 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 $775 per month in Lahore and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lahore, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $48.64 per month in Lahore and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 145% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lahore, where all-in costs run around $516, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Lahore it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lahore costs $516 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. 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 Lahore. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.