Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nepalgunj and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Nepalgunj: $173 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Nepalgunj

🇳🇵 Nepal

$173

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $173 per month in Nepalgunj vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nepalgunj $173
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $289 per month in Nepalgunj vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nepalgunj $289
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $405 per month in Nepalgunj vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nepalgunj $405
Chiang Mai $1,979

Nepalgunj is about 82% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nepalgunj and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Nepalgunj 87% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.24 NPR 494

$2.24 ฿75.7

44.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.91 NPR 1,204

$19.00 ฿642

-58.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.68 NPR 1,017

$5.55 ฿188

20.36%

Cappuccino

$1.66 NPR 252

$1.67 ฿56.6

-0.60%

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

$0.55 NPR 84.2

$0.64 ฿21.56

-14.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 NPR 18.68

$0.31 ฿10.32

-61.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 NPR 341

$2.36 ฿79.6

-5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 NPR 496

$3.66 ฿124

-10.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.63 NPR 96.2

$1.95 ฿65.8

-67.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.51 NPR 77.0

$1.33 ฿45.07

-61.65%

Eggs

$0.78 NPR 118

$2.28 ฿77.1

-65.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 NPR 295

$2.35 ฿79.5

-17.45%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 NPR 98.5

$0.97 ฿32.82

-32.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 NPR 104

$1.60 ฿53.9

-57.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 NPR 105

$1.50 ฿50.7

-54.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.18 NPR 27.07

$1.28 ฿43.15

-85.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.27 NPR 41.54

$1.10 ฿37.22

-75.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.18 NPR 27.32

$0.49 ฿16.38

-63.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 NPR 52.1

$0.87 ฿29.33

-60.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

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

$12.17 ฿411

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.14 NPR 1,543

$37.31 ฿1,260

-72.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$2.66 NPR 404

$6.49 ฿219

-59.01%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.58 NPR 2,980

$53.4 ฿1,802

-63.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.84 NPR 3,933

$24.64 ฿832

4.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$13.22 NPR 2,012

$91.5 ฿3,089

-85.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.68 NPR 2,995

$71.9 ฿2,429

-72.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$99.0 NPR 15.1K

$590 ฿19.9K

-83.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Nepalgunj: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nepalgunj

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Nepalgunj

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Nepalgunj

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nepalgunj

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Nepalgunj

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Nepalgunj

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Nepalgunj

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8 in Nepalgunj versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $34 vs $234 – making Nepalgunj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Nepalgunj

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

23:58 11:58 PM

1 h 15 min ahead of Nepalgunj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,503

127,240

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.57 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NPR – Nepalese Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇵 Nepalese Rupee (रु)

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.57 USD). 1 EUR = 169 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NPR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nepalgunj Chiang Mai 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Nepalgunj
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 441% more than Nepalgunj, 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 $259 per month in Nepalgunj and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $173 in Nepalgunj and $936 in Chiang Mai. That’s a gap of about 441%.

Groceries cost about 580% 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 $173 in Nepalgunj and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $173 in Nepalgunj to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Nepalgunj. 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.