Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Multan and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Multan: $529 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Multan
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Multan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Multan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$529

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $529 per month in Multan vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Multan $529
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $746 per month in Multan vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Multan $746
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $964 per month in Multan vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Multan $964
Chiang Mai $1,914

Multan is about 44% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Multan and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Multan 61% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.52 PKR 696

$2.26 ฿75.4

11.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.96 PKR 3,033

$19.18 ฿641

-42.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 PKR 1,464

$5.59 ฿187

-5.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 PKR 770

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

Cappuccino

$1.84 PKR 510

$1.72 ฿57.6

6.98%

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

$0.30 PKR 83.2

$0.64 ฿21.54

-53.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 PKR 45.20

$0.33 ฿11.18

-51.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 PKR 188

$2.05 ฿68.6

-66.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 143

$1.40 ฿46.70

-62.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 PKR 294

$1.28 ฿42.89

-17.19%

Eggs

$1.13 PKR 314

$2.25 ฿75.3

-49.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.65 PKR 1,840

$16.94 ฿566

-60.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.52 PKR 697

$2.74 ฿91.6

-8.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.63 PKR 1,280

$9.36 ฿313

-50.53%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 PKR 266

$2.40 ฿80.3

-60.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.50 PKR 138

$1.01 ฿33.92

-50.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 PKR 196

$1.61 ฿53.9

-55.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 PKR 169

$1.52 ฿50.7

-59.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 109

$1.28 ฿42.90

-69.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 PKR 119

$1.11 ฿37.22

-61.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 PKR 138

$0.72 ฿24.09

-30.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 PKR 104

$0.52 ฿17.54

-28.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.88 PKR 521

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PKR 785

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 PKR 594

$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)

$0.19 PKR 53.0

$0.85 ฿28.31

-77.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.28 PKR 2,016

$53.9 ฿1,801

-86.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 PKR 402

$1.17 ฿39.18

23.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 PKR 96.6

$0.57 ฿19.00

-38.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 PKR 245

$2.37 ฿79.2

-62.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 PKR 316

$1.45 ฿48.32

-21.38%

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

$25.0K PKR 6.9M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

22.04%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

2.40%

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

$147 PKR 40.7K

$62.3 ฿2,083

135.87%

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

$4.87 PKR 1,347

$12.27 ฿410

-60.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.22 PKR 5,320

$19.97 ฿668

-3.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.43 PKR 6,761

$37.91 ฿1,267

-35.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.55 PKR 981

$3.76 ฿126

-5.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 PKR 1,177

$6.71 ฿224

-36.66%

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

$43.24 PKR 12.0K

$797 ฿26.6K

-94.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$999 PKR 276.6K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-93.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.83 PKR 4,935

$53.3 ฿1,780

-66.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.67 PKR 5,167

$25.05 ฿837

-25.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 PKR 26.1K

$91.6 ฿3,062

2.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.89 PKR 7,165

$73.5 ฿2,455

-64.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$146 PKR 40.3K

$464 ฿15.5K

-68.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.6 PKR 25.9K

$305 ฿10.2K

-69.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 PKR 60.8K

$915 ฿30.6K

-76.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 PKR 41.5K

$552 ฿18.5K

-72.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.5K

$595 ฿19.9K

-69.32%

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 Multan: 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

Multan

$171 32.4%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 44.7% $77

Accommodation & Living

Multan

$94 17.7%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 226% $211

Groceries & Markets

Multan

$89 16.9%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 166% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Multan

$70 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 55.4% $39

Eating Out

Multan

$60 11.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 31.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Multan

$33 6.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 55.9% $18

Getting Around

Multan

$11 2.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 445% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $146 in Multan 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 226% 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 Multan versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $89.0 vs $238 – making Multan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Multan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

14:06 2:06 PM

2 h ahead of Multan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,871,843

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

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Highest

Between locations

Multan Chiang Mai 3,050 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Multan
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 77% more than Multan, 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 $793 per month in Multan 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 Multan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $43.24 per month in Multan 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 166% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Multan, where all-in costs run around $529, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Multan 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. Multan costs $529 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 Multan. 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.