Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Nairobi: $858 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $960 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$858

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $858 per month in Nairobi vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nairobi $858
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,405 per month in Nairobi vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nairobi $1,405
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,952 per month in Nairobi vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nairobi $1,952
Chiang Mai $1,914

Nairobi is about 9% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nairobi and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Nairobi 36% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.34 KES 822

$2.26 ฿75.4

180.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.07 KES 4,417

$19.18 ฿641

77.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.41 KES 831

$5.59 ฿187

14.67%

Cappuccino

$2.65 KES 344

$1.72 ฿57.6

54.07%

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

$0.63 KES 81.3

$0.64 ฿21.54

-1.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 KES 78.3

$0.33 ฿11.18

81.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 KES 295

$2.36 ฿78.7

-3.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 KES 361

$3.90 ฿130

-28.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 KES 116

$2.05 ฿68.6

-56.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 KES 73.0

$1.40 ฿46.70

-60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 KES 247

$1.28 ฿42.89

48.44%

Eggs

$1.72 KES 223

$2.25 ฿75.3

-23.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 KES 1,404

$16.94 ฿566

-36.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 KES 846

$2.74 ฿91.6

137.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.38 KES 827

$9.36 ฿313

-31.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 KES 431

$2.40 ฿80.3

38.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$1.01 ฿33.92

8.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 KES 265

$1.61 ฿53.9

26.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 KES 142

$1.52 ฿50.7

-27.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 KES 137

$1.28 ฿42.90

-17.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$1.11 ฿37.22

-5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 95.8

$0.72 ฿24.09

2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 KES 102

$0.52 ฿17.54

51.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 KES 451

$4.33 ฿145

-19.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 KES 1,510

$17.73 ฿593

-34.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 KES 286

$1.63 ฿54.4

35.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 KES 368

$2.85 ฿95.3

-0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 KES 100

$0.85 ฿28.31

-9.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.01 KES 5,965

$53.9 ฿1,801

-14.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.17 ฿39.18

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 198

$0.57 ฿19.00

166.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 KES 383

$2.37 ฿79.2

24.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.45 ฿48.32

6.90%

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

7.00%

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

$20.3K KES 2.6M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-23.52%

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

$55.1 KES 7,145

$62.3 ฿2,083

-11.58%

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

$15.13 KES 1,962

$12.27 ฿410

23.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.54 KES 4,478

$19.97 ฿668

72.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 KES 6,500

$37.91 ฿1,267

32.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 KES 2,010

$3.76 ฿126

312.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 KES 982

$6.71 ฿224

12.82%

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

$251 KES 32.5K

$797 ฿26.6K

-68.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K KES 1.6M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-16.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.61 KES 3,580

$53.3 ฿1,780

-48.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.05 KES 3,766

$25.05 ฿837

15.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 KES 9,205

$91.6 ฿3,062

-22.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 KES 7,679

$73.5 ฿2,455

-19.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 KES 57.0K

$464 ฿15.5K

-5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 KES 27.8K

$305 ฿10.2K

-29.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 KES 144.1K

$915 ฿30.6K

21.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 KES 64.7K

$552 ฿18.5K

-9.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,324 KES 171.7K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-30.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$912 KES 118.3K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-36.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$480 KES 62.2K

$595 ฿19.9K

-19.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

5.57

164.09%

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

Last update for Nairobi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nairobi

$214 25%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 42.1% $90

Groceries & Markets

Nairobi

$208 24.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 14.5% $30

Eating Out

Nairobi

$124 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 36.1% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nairobi

$105 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 9.7% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Nairobi

$84 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 30.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Nairobi

$65 7.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 21.4% $14

Getting Around

Nairobi

$58 6.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 5.2% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $440 in Nairobi 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 24% 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 $34.00 in Nairobi versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $208 in Nairobi vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Nairobi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:27 9:27 PM

01:27 1:27 AM

4 h ahead of Nairobi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,138,295 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nairobi Chiang Mai 7,140 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Nairobi
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 9% more than Nairobi, 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 $1,287 per month in Nairobi 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 Nairobi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $251 per month in Nairobi 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 14% 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 Nairobi, where all-in costs run around $858, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Nairobi 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. Nairobi costs $858 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 Nairobi. 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.