Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mehar and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Mehar: $447 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Mehar
Learn more

Mehar Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Mehar

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$447

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $447 per month in Mehar vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mehar $447
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $667 per month in Mehar vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mehar $667
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $887 per month in Mehar vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mehar $887
Chiang Mai $1,903

Mehar is about 52% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mehar and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Mehar 67% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.12 PKR 586

$2.29 ฿76.5

-7.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.76 PKR 2,977

$19.64 ฿656

-45.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 PKR 1,487

$5.61 ฿188

-4.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 PKR 682

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 PKR 1,482

Cappuccino

$1.58 PKR 437

$1.66 ฿55.6

-4.82%

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

$0.35 PKR 97.0

$0.70 ฿23.40

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 PKR 48.28

$0.31 ฿10.24

-45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 PKR 231

$1.95 ฿65.3

-56.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 PKR 172

$1.41 ฿47.03

-56.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 PKR 311

$1.31 ฿43.62

-14.50%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 332

$2.18 ฿72.9

-44.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.71 PKR 1,580

$16.65 ฿556

-65.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.57 PKR 712

$2.76 ฿92.2

-6.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.03 PKR 1,391

$9.11 ฿304

-44.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.16 PKR 320

$2.39 ฿80.0

-51.46%

Banana (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 151

$1.03 ฿34.26

-46.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.79 PKR 218

$1.63 ฿54.4

-51.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.50 ฿50.0

-62.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 83.5

$1.29 ฿43.13

-76.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$1.11 ฿37.03

-65.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 115

$0.72 ฿24.08

-41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 95.7

$0.53 ฿17.59

-33.96%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.81 PKR 502

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 PKR 293

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 PKR 657

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 PKR 559

$4.31 ฿144

-53.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.3

$0.86 ฿28.86

-76.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.77 PKR 2,703

$53.3 ฿1,780

-81.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 PKR 304

$1.21 ฿40.29

-9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$0.57 ฿18.99

24.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 PKR 453

$2.35 ฿78.6

-30.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.44 ฿47.96

-13.89%

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

$22.1K PKR 6.1M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

6.51%

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

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-9.17%

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

$101 PKR 28.0K

$62.3 ฿2,083

62.55%

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

$5.71 PKR 1,581

$12.11 ฿405

-52.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.30 PKR 3,958

$19.94 ฿666

-28.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.17 PKR 4,199

$37.07 ฿1,239

-59.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.92 PKR 2,191

$3.78 ฿126

109.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 PKR 1,215

$6.50 ฿217

-32.46%

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

$42.99 PKR 11.9K

$793 ฿26.5K

-94.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,021 PKR 282.7K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-93.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.60 PKR 4,595

$53.7 ฿1,796

-69.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.60 PKR 6,531

$24.62 ฿823

-4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 PKR 18.8K

$90.9 ฿3,036

-25.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.37 PKR 9,235

$71.1 ฿2,378

-53.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$128 PKR 35.5K

$455 ฿15.2K

-71.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$77.4 PKR 21.4K

$298 ฿9,954

-74.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 PKR 69.0K

$908 ฿30.4K

-72.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 PKR 41.8K

$554 ฿18.5K

-72.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$949 PKR 262.6K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-50.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$483 PKR 133.8K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-66.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$109 PKR 30.0K

$591 ฿19.7K

-81.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

133.39%

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

Last update for Mehar: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mehar

$121 27.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 22.2% $27

Groceries & Markets

Mehar

$91 20.5%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 158% $144

Accommodation & Living

Mehar

$77 17.3%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 285% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Mehar

$64 14.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 69.9% $44

Eating Out

Mehar

$54 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 45.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Mehar

$24 5.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 109% $26

Getting Around

Mehar

$15 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 300% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $128 in Mehar 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 444% 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 $11.00 in Mehar versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $91.0 vs $235 – making Mehar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Mehar

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:57 6:57 PM

20:57 8:57 PM

2 h ahead of Mehar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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 22, 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 22, 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

Mehar Chiang Mai 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mehar
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 107% more than Mehar, 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 $671 per month in Mehar 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 Mehar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $42.99 per month in Mehar and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 158% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mehar, where all-in costs run around $447, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Mehar 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. Mehar costs $447 versus $925 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 Mehar. 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.