Cost of Living Comparison Between Narok and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Narok and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $556 per month in Narok vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $923 per month in Narok vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,289 per month in Narok vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Narok is about 36% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Narok and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Narok 59% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 KES 713

$1.98 ฿64.3

177.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.33 KES 5,099

$18.80 ฿612

109.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 KES 907

$7.75 ฿252

-9.68%

Cappuccino

$2.37 KES 307

$1.92 ฿62.5

23.44%

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

$0.75 KES 97.0

$0.79 ฿25.79

-5.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 KES 68.7

$0.36 ฿11.62

47.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 298

$2.21 ฿72.1

3.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 KES 369

$3.66 ฿119

-22.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 122

$1.65 ฿53.8

-43.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 KES 69.7

$1.63 ฿53.2

-66.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 KES 205

$1.19 ฿38.86

32.77%

Eggs

$1.63 KES 212

$2.00 ฿65.1

-18.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 KES 1,523

$15.98 ฿520

-26.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.77 KES 878

$3.03 ฿98.5

123.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.67 KES 735

$10.86 ฿354

-47.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 KES 391

$2.76 ฿90.0

9.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

$1.18 ฿38.42

-9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 KES 281

$1.64 ฿53.5

32.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 KES 132

$1.52 ฿49.51

-33.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 KES 134

$1.38 ฿45.10

-24.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 KES 151

$1.19 ฿38.84

-2.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 KES 89.4

$0.70 ฿22.86

-1.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 KES 96.4

$0.56 ฿18.13

32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 KES 411

$4.58 ฿149

-30.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.79 KES 880

$16.56 ฿539

-59.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 KES 283

$1.83 ฿59.5

19.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 KES 362

$3.20 ฿104

-12.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 KES 206

$0.88 ฿28.56

80.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.99 KES 6,093

$18.72 ฿610

151.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.36 ฿44.16

15.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.34 ฿43.65

12.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 KES 377

$7.84 ฿256

-62.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 KES 182

$1.23 ฿39.92

13.82%

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

$21.6K ฿704.3K

1.44%

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

$19.8K KES 2.6M

$22.5K ฿734.3K

-12.25%

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

$33.95 KES 4,402

$70.5 ฿2,298

-51.87%

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

$16.70 KES 2,166

$13.68 ฿445

22.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.72 KES 5,020

$17.45 ฿568

121.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 KES 807

$5.77 ฿188

7.97%

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

$207 KES 26.8K

$307 ฿10.0K

-32.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,192 KES 1.1M

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-43.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.26 KES 2,368

$55.8 ฿1,817

-67.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.26 KES 3,146

$26.21 ฿854

-7.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.1 KES 8,312

$85.8 ฿2,793

-25.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.3 KES 7,293

$72.2 ฿2,353

-22.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,556 KES 201.8K

$1,983 ฿64.6K

-21.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,175 KES 152.4K

$1,484 ฿48.3K

-20.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$309 KES 40.0K

$619 ฿20.2K

-50.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.84

196.80%

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

Last update for Narok: June 8, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 100% 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 $39.00 in Narok versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in Narok vs $241 in Chiang Mai – so Narok wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 56% more than Narok, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $834 per month in Narok and $1,303 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Narok and $307 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $556 in Narok and $869 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Narok costs $556 versus $869 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 Narok. 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.