Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mianwali and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Mianwali: $415 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Mianwali
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$415
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $415 per month in Mianwali vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Mianwali $415
  • Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $602 per month in Mianwali vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Mianwali $602
  • Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $789 per month in Mianwali vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Mianwali $789
  • Chiang Mai $1,914

Mianwali is about 56% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mianwali and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Mianwali 69% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mianwali
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.56 PKR 707
$2.26 ฿75.4
13.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$7.92 PKR 2,193
$19.18 ฿641
-58.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.76 PKR 1,593
$5.59 ฿187
3.04%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.69 PKR 1,022
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.55 PKR 1,536
-
-
Cappuccino
$1.05 PKR 292
$1.72 ฿57.6
-38.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.24 PKR 66.1
$0.64 ฿21.54
-62.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.19 PKR 52.1
$0.33 ฿11.18
-42.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.36 ฿78.7
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.90 ฿130
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mianwali
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.72 PKR 199
$2.05 ฿68.6
-64.88%
White Bread (500g)
$0.50 PKR 137
$1.40 ฿46.70
-64.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 PKR 307
$1.28 ฿42.89
-13.28%
Eggs
$1.20 PKR 333
$2.25 ฿75.3
-46.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.45 PKR 1,786
$16.94 ฿566
-61.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$1.47 PKR 407
$2.74 ฿91.6
-46.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$3.51 PKR 973
$9.36 ฿313
-62.50%
Apples (1kg)
$1.19 PKR 330
$2.40 ฿80.3
-50.42%
Banana (1kg)
$0.70 PKR 194
$1.01 ฿33.92
-30.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.75 PKR 207
$1.61 ฿53.9
-53.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.45 PKR 125
$1.52 ฿50.7
-70.39%
Potato (1kg)
$0.30 PKR 82.1
$1.28 ฿42.90
-76.56%
Onion (1kg)
$0.35 PKR 97.9
$1.11 ฿37.22
-68.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.51 PKR 141
$0.72 ฿24.09
-29.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.37 PKR 103
$0.52 ฿17.54
-28.85%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.10 PKR 305
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 PKR 182
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 PKR 479
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.11 PKR 307
$4.33 ฿145
-74.36%
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
-
🚌 Getting Around
Mianwali
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.19 PKR 51.6
$0.85 ฿28.31
-77.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.47 PKR 2,622
$53.9 ฿1,801
-82.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.75 PKR 208
$1.17 ฿39.18
-35.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 PKR 103
$0.57 ฿19.00
-35.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.86 PKR 515
$2.37 ฿79.2
-21.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.23 PKR 340
$1.45 ฿48.32
-15.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.3K PKR 5.1M
$20.5K ฿684.3K
-10.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.4K PKR 7.0M
$26.5K ฿886.1K
-4.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mianwali
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$109 PKR 30.1K
$62.3 ฿2,083
74.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.32 PKR 919
$12.27 ฿410
-72.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.25 PKR 4,497
$19.97 ฿668
-18.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mianwali
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$8.04 PKR 2,225
$37.91 ฿1,267
-78.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.24 PKR 2,281
$3.76 ฿126
119.15%
Cinema Ticket
$4.24 PKR 1,172
$6.71 ฿224
-36.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mianwali
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$48.56 PKR 13.4K
$797 ฿26.6K
-93.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,017 PKR 558.2K
$14.8K ฿495.7K
-86.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mianwali
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$13.37 PKR 3,701
$53.3 ฿1,780
-74.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$14.16 PKR 3,919
$25.05 ฿837
-43.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.3 PKR 20.0K
$91.6 ฿3,062
-21.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$8.79 PKR 2,433
$73.5 ฿2,455
-88.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mianwali
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$128 PKR 35.4K
$464 ฿15.5K
-72.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$74.0 PKR 20.5K
$305 ฿10.2K
-75.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$240 PKR 66.5K
$915 ฿30.6K
-73.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$141 PKR 39.0K
$552 ฿18.5K
-74.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,027 PKR 284.2K
$1,912 ฿63.9K
-46.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$424 PKR 117.5K
$1,438 ฿48.1K
-70.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mianwali
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$595 ฿19.9K
-
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 Mianwali: October 12, 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
Mianwali
$128
Chiang Mai
$95 26.4% $34
Groceries & Markets
Mianwali
$82
Chiang Mai
$238 189% $156
Accommodation & Living
Mianwali
$74
Chiang Mai
$305 312% $231
Eating Out
Mianwali
$52
Chiang Mai
$79 51.7% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Mianwali
$49
Chiang Mai
$110 124% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Mianwali
$17
Chiang Mai
$51 211% $35
Getting Around
Mianwali
$13
Chiang Mai
$61 378% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $128 in Mianwali 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8.00 in Mianwali versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $82.0 vs $238 – making Mianwali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Mianwali
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
10:20 10:20 AM
12:20 12:20 PM
2 h ahead of Mianwali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
118,883
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mianwali Chiang Mai 3,140 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mianwali
  • 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
Mianwali vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mianwali or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 126% more than Mianwali, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Mianwali and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $622 per month in Mianwali and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Mianwali or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mianwali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Mianwali and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $48.56 per month in Mianwali and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Mianwali or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 189% 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.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Mianwali or in Chiang Mai?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mianwali, where all-in costs run around $415, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Mianwali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Mianwali or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mianwali costs $415 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Mianwali compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Mianwali or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Mianwali. 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.

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