Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nalaikh and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living costs are similar in Nalaikh and in Chiang Mai: $908 and $938 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Nalaikh
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Nalaikh Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Nalaikh

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$908

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $908 per month in Nalaikh vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nalaikh $908
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,425 per month in Nalaikh vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nalaikh $1,425
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,941 per month in Nalaikh vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nalaikh $1,941
Chiang Mai $1,914

Nalaikh is about 3% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nalaikh and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Nalaikh 33% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 MNT 16.1K

$2.26 ฿75.4

98.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.21 MNT 94.3K

$19.18 ฿641

36.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 MNT 15.8K

$5.59 ฿187

-21.29%

Cappuccino

$2.18 MNT 7,856

$1.72 ฿57.6

26.74%

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

$0.72 MNT 2,602

$0.64 ฿21.54

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MNT 1,449

$0.33 ฿11.18

21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 MNT 5,089

$2.36 ฿78.7

-39.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 MNT 7,792

$3.90 ฿130

-44.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 MNT 4,363

$2.05 ฿68.6

-40.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 MNT 2,885

$1.40 ฿46.70

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 MNT 5,728

$1.28 ฿42.89

24.22%

Eggs

$2.05 MNT 7,373

$2.25 ฿75.3

-8.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.43 MNT 44.7K

$16.94 ฿566

-26.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.22 MNT 15.2K

$2.74 ฿91.6

54.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.64 MNT 20.3K

$9.36 ฿313

-39.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 MNT 11.2K

$2.40 ฿80.3

29.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 MNT 8,905

$1.01 ฿33.92

145.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 MNT 13.1K

$1.61 ฿53.9

126.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.84 MNT 10.2K

$1.52 ฿50.7

86.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MNT 2,091

$1.28 ฿42.90

-54.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MNT 3,341

$1.11 ฿37.22

-16.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 MNT 4,381

$0.72 ฿24.09

69.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MNT 2,148

$0.52 ฿17.54

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 MNT 5,957

$4.33 ฿145

-61.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 MNT 29.8K

$17.73 ฿593

-53.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 MNT 3,444

$1.63 ฿54.4

-41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 MNT 5,720

$2.85 ฿95.3

-44.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 MNT 528

$0.85 ฿28.31

-82.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.04 MNT 21.7K

$53.9 ฿1,801

-88.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.55 MNT 1,976

$1.17 ฿39.18

-52.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MNT 1,847

$0.57 ฿19.00

-10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 MNT 8,914

$2.37 ฿79.2

4.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 MNT 3,625

$1.45 ฿48.32

-30.34%

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

$26.5K MNT 95.4M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

29.61%

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

$16.4K MNT 59.0M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-38.08%

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

$70.2 MNT 252.5K

$62.3 ฿2,083

12.64%

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

$6.92 MNT 24.9K

$12.27 ฿410

-43.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.94 MNT 39.4K

$19.97 ฿668

-45.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 MNT 197.7K

$37.91 ฿1,267

45.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.99 MNT 50.3K

$3.76 ฿126

272.07%

Cinema Ticket

$2.72 MNT 9,791

$6.71 ฿224

-59.46%

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

$123 MNT 441.5K

$797 ฿26.6K

-84.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,604 MNT 20.2M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-62.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 MNT 222.0K

$53.3 ฿1,780

15.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 MNT 164.6K

$25.05 ฿837

82.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 MNT 304.8K

$91.6 ฿3,062

-7.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 MNT 448.9K

$73.5 ฿2,455

69.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 MNT 1.5M

$464 ฿15.5K

-10.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 MNT 1.1M

$305 ฿10.2K

0.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MNT 4.5M

$915 ฿30.6K

37.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 MNT 2.1M

$552 ฿18.5K

4.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,362 MNT 4.9M

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-28.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$848 MNT 3.0M

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-41.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$523 MNT 1.9M

$595 ฿19.9K

-12.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-10.23%

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

Last update for Nalaikh: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nalaikh

$307 33.8%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 0.7% $2.1

Groceries & Markets

Nalaikh

$209 23.1%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 13.6% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Nalaikh

$143 15.7%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 23.2% $33

Eating Out

Nalaikh

$91 10%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 13.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nalaikh

$88 9.7%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 7.4% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nalaikh

$60 6.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 15% $9.1

Getting Around

Nalaikh

$9.7 1.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 530% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Nalaikh 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 14% 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 $26.00 in Nalaikh versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $209 in Nalaikh vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Nalaikh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Nalaikh

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:36 5:36 PM

16:36 4:36 PM

1 h behind Nalaikh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,049

127,240

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MNT – Mongolian Tögrög Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇳 Mongolian Tögrög (₮)

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,596 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,043 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.47 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 MNT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Nalaikh
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Nalaikh, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,362 per month in Nalaikh 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 Nalaikh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $123 per month in Nalaikh 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 Nalaikh, where all-in costs run around $908, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Nalaikh 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. Nalaikh costs $908 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 Nalaikh. 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.