Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makhachkala and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,009 in Makhachkala, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Makhachkala
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Makhachkala Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,009 per month in Makhachkala vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Makhachkala $1,009
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,562 per month in Makhachkala vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Makhachkala $1,562
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,115 per month in Makhachkala vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Makhachkala $2,115
Chiang Mai $1,914

Makhachkala costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Makhachkala and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Makhachkala 25% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.20 ₽851

$2.26 ฿75.4

351.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.73 ₽2,648

$19.18 ฿641

65.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 ₽457

$5.59 ฿187

-1.97%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ₽221

$1.72 ฿57.6

54.07%

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

$1.17 ₽98.0

$0.64 ฿21.54

82.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₽51.1

$0.33 ฿11.18

84.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 ₽162

$2.36 ฿78.7

-17.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ₽246

$3.90 ฿130

-24.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 ₽91.6

$2.05 ฿68.6

-46.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ₽58.9

$1.40 ฿46.70

-49.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ₽118

$1.28 ฿42.89

10.16%

Eggs

$1.53 ₽127

$2.25 ฿75.3

-32.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 ₽917

$16.94 ฿566

-35.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.39 ₽450

$2.74 ฿91.6

96.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 ₽921

$9.36 ฿313

17.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₽142

$2.40 ฿80.3

-29.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ₽146

$1.01 ฿33.92

73.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ₽146

$1.61 ฿53.9

8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 ₽232

$1.52 ฿50.7

82.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₽67.4

$1.28 ฿42.90

-36.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 ₽51.1

$1.11 ฿37.22

-45.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ₽103

$0.72 ฿24.09

70.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₽61.8

$0.52 ฿17.54

42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₽278

$4.33 ฿145

-23.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 ₽661

$17.73 ฿593

-55.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₽91.4

$1.63 ฿54.4

-32.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₽168

$2.85 ฿95.3

-29.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 ₽44.80

$0.85 ฿28.31

-36.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 ₽225

$1.17 ฿39.18

130.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ₽33.48

$0.57 ฿19.00

-29.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 ₽477

$2.37 ฿79.2

140.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₽70.2

$1.45 ฿48.32

-42.07%

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

$41.0K ₽3.4M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

100.09%

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

$37.4K ₽3.1M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

40.88%

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

$110 ₽9,172

$62.3 ฿2,083

76.30%

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

$5.49 ₽458

$12.27 ฿410

-55.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.44 ₽705

$19.97 ฿668

-57.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.62 ₽2,973

$37.91 ฿1,267

-6.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.57 ₽1,967

$3.76 ฿126

526.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.13 ₽512

$6.71 ฿224

-8.64%

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

$348 ₽29.1K

$797 ฿26.6K

-56.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,288 ₽441.3K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-64.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 ₽6,688

$53.3 ฿1,780

50.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 ₽4,518

$25.05 ฿837

116.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₽8,539

$91.6 ฿3,062

11.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ₽9,353

$73.5 ฿2,455

52.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₽38.4K

$464 ฿15.5K

-0.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 ₽26.3K

$305 ฿10.2K

3.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ₽74.4K

$915 ฿30.6K

-2.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 ₽46.4K

$552 ฿18.5K

0.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 ₽185.8K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

16.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,492 ₽124.5K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

3.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 ₽51.9K

$595 ฿19.9K

4.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.45

5.57

285.10%

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

Last update for Makhachkala: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makhachkala

$315 31.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 3.3% $10

Groceries & Markets

Makhachkala

$206 20.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 15.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Makhachkala

$157 15.6%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 30.2% $47

Eating Out

Makhachkala

$153 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 48.2% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makhachkala

$124 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 23.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Makhachkala

$48 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 7.2% $3.5

Getting Around

Makhachkala

$6.9 * 0.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 795% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $460 in Makhachkala 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 5% higher in Makhachkala, 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 $32.00 in Makhachkala versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $206 in Makhachkala vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Makhachkala wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Makhachkala

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:40 10:40 AM

14:40 2:40 PM

4 h ahead of Makhachkala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

604,266

127,240

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 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 RUB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Makhachkala Chiang Mai 5,490 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Makhachkala
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

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

Makhachkala costs about 7% 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 $1,513 per month in Makhachkala 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 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 $32.00 in Makhachkala and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Makhachkala – 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 $938, than in Makhachkala at $1,009. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makhachkala it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,009 in Makhachkala. 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, Makhachkala makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.